Rakia earned a Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a concentration in political science and Latin American studies. Her passion for immigration law was ignited during her first summer of law school while working for the NC Justice Center's Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in Raleigh, NC, where she supported asylum cases. This experience led to her first post-law school position as the lead attorney for a U.S. Department of Justice Legal Assistance to Victims Grant program with the Latin American Association in Atlanta, Georgia. In this role she represented immigrant survivors of family violence in State Superior Court and US immigration proceedings. She established collaborative relationships with other community partners to provide shelter and psychological services to clients. Furthermore, she participated in vital outreach programs, including the US Department of Health and Human Services Rescue and Restore Victims of Trafficking campaign.

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Rakia relocated to Geneva, Switzerland in 2007 to pursue her dream of working in international human rights, where she earned a Masters (LLM) in International Humanitarian Law. As the Senior Legal Officer at an international NGO with special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Rakia has experience as an International Human Rights Adviser in addition to her immigration law experience. She has delivered lectures on refugee rights and conducted global missions, which include training and implementing capacity-building initiatives for international agencies, national governments, and regional and national human rights institutions.

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In 2020, after over a decade living abroad, Rakia returned to the US and resumed her career in direct legal representation of immigrants. She launched the Rock Hill office for Catholic Charities of South Carolina, which notably included removal defense services in Immigration Court for the organization’s first time. Since then, Rakia has successfully represented clients in numerous family and humanitarian immigration cases before United States Citizenship & Immigration Services, Department of State, and U.S. Immigration Court.

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As an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Rakia remains engaged with the legal professional community amidst an ever-changing landscape of immigration law and policy. She diligently pursues continuing legal education to stay abreast of current laws and policies, ensuring optimal client service.