Attorney Raymond Rico

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Raymond Rico grew up in Argentine, Kansas City, Kansas.  Raymond's father entered the United States without legal status with just a trash bag of belongings in the late 1960's.  Raymond's mother's family immigrated from Mexico following work on the railroads, field labor, and industrial labor to Wyoming, California, Nebraska, and eventually, Kansas.  A product of the USD 500 school district, Raymond graduated from Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Raymond received a B.A. in Political Science & Latin American Studies with a minor in Public Administration from the University of Kansas (KU).  While at KU, Raymond worked for Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and for the Kansas Hispanic & Latino Affairs commission where he played a key role in the joint efforts to pass the Kansas In-State Tuition law allowing Kansas students to pay in-state tuition regardless of immigration status.  

After graduation, Raymond was selected to be a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow in Washington, DC.  Raymond worked in policy, advocacy, and research at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC).  While at NILC, Raymond organized with the founding members of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led national coalition advocating for immigrant rights nationwide.  Raymond worked extensively to fight for the passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the DREAM Act, spoke as an immigration policy expert nationwide, and worked to defeat anti-immigrant state legislation.  Raymond continues to volunteer with the Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance (KSMODA) to fight anti-immigrant legislation, join in coalition to successfully lobby Missouri public schools to charge DACA students in-state tuition rates, lobby in Jefferson City, Washington, DC, and provide testimony in Topeka to defend Kansas' In-State Tuition Law.

Raymond returned to Kansas City to attend law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Raymond obtained his J.D. in 2011.  For the past 10 years Raymond has worked as an associate attorney with the Garcia Immigration Law Firm.  Teodoro Garcia, Jr. continues to be a longtime mentor and friend, and with good reason, the Garcia Immigration Law Firm is believed by many to be second to none among the best law firms in the region.

In April 2021, Raymond formed his own practice focusing on immigration.  The Law Office of Raymond Rico, LLC provides bilingual client services to positively impact the lives of as many of our region's immigrant families as possible.  With dignity and respect, we look forward to working together to realize a better world for our immigrant population, one family at a time.  

Licenses/Legal Memberships:

Licensed by the Missouri Bar Association

Member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

Boards & Memberships:

Board of Directors, Hispanic Development Fund of Greater Kansas City

Board of Directors, ACLU of Kansas

Advisor, Communities Concerned for Immigrants & Refugees

Former Board of Director, United We Dream

Former Board of Director, REACH Healthcare Foundation

Former Board of Director, Hispanic Bar Association of Greater Kansas City

Former Board of Director, Young Latino Professionals of Greater Kansas City

Member and Volunteer Attorney, Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance (KSMODA)

Awards: 

Carlos F. Cortes Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "Humanitarian of the Year" (2014)

USD 500 Alumni Honor Roll "Reason to Believe" (2017) 

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Alumni of the Month (2013)

Emiliano Zapata Leadership Award for dynamic leadership of the next generation of civil rights soldiers (2013)

Testimony:

Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs  (SB 157) - February 15, 2017

Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs (SB 158) - February 15, 2017

Kansas House Education Committee (HB 2139) - February 24, 2015

Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee (HB 2192) - March 20, 2013

Kansas House Education Committee: Explaining the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program - February 13, 2013