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Events › 2009 › August › Information Page › Ana Navarro

Ana Navarro

Ana Navarro was born in Nicaragua. In 1980, at age 8 and as a result of the Sandinista revolution in their native country, she and her family immigrated to the United States and resettled in Miami.

Ms. Navarro is a graduate of the University of Miami. In 1993, she obtained her bachelor in arts degree with majors in Latin American studies and political science. She obtained a juris doctorate in 1997. She has expertise on Latin American and Hispanic issues.

In 1997, she was a special advisor to the government of Nicaragua and in that role, she was one of the primary advocates for NACARA, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. In 1998, at the request of then-gubernatorial candidate Jeb Bush, she was part of a three-person team that advocated and eventually won passage of HARIFA, the Haitian Refugee and Immigration Fairness Act.

She served on Gov. Jeb Bush's transition team and was briefly director of immigration policy in the executive office of the governor.

In 1999, she returned to the private sector and has represented private and public clients on federal issues, particularly related to immigration, trade, and policy affecting Central America.

In 2001, she served as ambassador to the United Nation's Human Rights Commission and helped bring about a condemnation of the government of Cuba for human rights abuses.

She served as the national co-chair of John McCain's Hispanic Advisory Council and was a frequent national press and speaking surrogate for the McCain 2008 campaign and often traveled with Sen. McCain during the campaign. She also has played a role in several local and state races in Florida, including the congressional races of Congressmen Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart. She is regarded as a Republican political strategist, with particular expertise on Florida and Hispanic politics.

She has served on the board of the National Immigration Forum, South Florida Boys Scouts, Florida FTAA, and currently serves on the Miami Dade College Foundation and Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, or FIAC.