Eva A. Millona

Eva A. Millona is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Previously she served as a presidential appointee in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from 2021 to 2025, first as Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement, and later as Chief of the inaugural Office of Citizenship, Partnership, and Engagement (OCPE) at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

In her role as Assistant Secretary, she served as the Homeland Security Secretary’s primary advisor on the impact of department actions on sub-federal government, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and academia. As the lead of OCPE, she also served as Chair of the interagency task force on the implementation of executive orders related to immigration.

Before joining DHS, Ms. Millona was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) for more than 13 years. MIRA is the largest organization in New England promoting and enhancing integration for immigrants and their families. In 2010, she co-founded the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), a national organization focused on immigrant integration, and served as Co-Chair for 11 years. She co-founded and co-chaired the Massachusetts Business Immigration Coalition and chaired the 2020 U.S. Census Statewide Complete Count Committee in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

A native of Albania, Ms. Millona practiced civil and criminal law before becoming the youngest district judge ever appointed to Tirana’s District Court, where she served from 1989 to1992. After emigrating to the United States, she directed the refugee resettlement program in central Massachusetts. She served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, as Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Governor’s Advisory Council for Refugees and Immigrants under four governors, on the Attorney General’s Council for New Americans, and on the Advisory Board for the Boston Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement.

She is a graduate of Clark University, where she obtained a master of arts in political science, and holds a law degree from the University of Tirana.