Lyne-Robert Desroches
Department of Homeland Security
2023 fellow
Ms. Desroches is an attorney and dedicated public servant who has been practicing immigration law in the nonprofit and private sector since 2013.
In December 2015, Ms. Desroches began her federal career as an attorney within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), where she worked as an Associate Legal Advisor (ALA) within the Executive Communications Unit (ECU). As an ALA, Ms. Desroches handled the daily substantive review, editing, and clearance process of taskings, which included briefing materials and talking points for the DHS Secretary, ICE Director, and Deputy Director; White House reports; Congressional reports; Congressional testimony and correspondence; and DHS agency wide policies, directives, and reporting requirements.
In August 2018, Ms. Desroches became Chief of ECU, overseeing the work of the division, including managing a team of attorneys and several portfolios, including general audits with the ICE Audit Liaison Office, audits by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congressional notices and updates, Congressional private bills, Congressional Questions-for-the-Record, and other special projects.
Ms. Desroches’ professional experience also includes serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff (detail) for ICE Office of the Deputy Director, where she was the sole attorney to speak on legal and other matters, providing expert-level support to the ICE Director and Deputy Director.
Ms. Desroches earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Virginia, a law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and a master’s degree in law and government from the American University Washington College of Law.
Ms. Desroches joins the White House Leadership Development Program as a Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Performance and Personnel Management, Federal Workforce Branch, where she will support the Federal Workforce Priority of the President’s Management Agenda and participate and lead various projects related to federal workforce policies and programs.
