ILCM’s Martha Castanon Named YWCA 2025 Woman of the Year
Martha Castanon, DOJ Accredited Representative with Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), was awarded the YWCA 2025 Woman of the Year Award at last month’s celebration hosted by YWCA Cass Clay. For more than 50 years, YWCA Cass Clay has been highlighting inspiring leaders, mentors, visionaries, and heroes at their annual event. Nominees exemplify the mission and vision of YWCA Cass Clay and make a positive impact in the Fargo-Moorhead community.
Castanon was recognized with the “Lifetime Achievement” award, which honors an individual aged 65+ who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to equality, empowering women and girls, and/or eliminating racism. She exemplifies integrity and displays compassion for humanity. Her work is far from finished and will continue to impact others for years to come.
In her work with ILCM, Castanon champions the rights of New Americans, specializing in assisting victims of domestic violence with immigration applications. Her career spans over 40 years and reflects a deep and longstanding commitment to supporting immigrant communities through legal advocacy and empowerment. Both her personal history and early work supporting migrant farmworker rights demonstrate her unwavering dedication to those facing racism and injustice. In 2012, Castanon was recognized by former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis as one of the 35 Pioneers of the Farmworker Movement, a testament to her lifetime advocacy for farmworker protections and legal rights.
Beyond her legal career, Castanon has been a leader in suicide prevention and education, advocating within the Latino community and serving on the Board of Directors of the North Dakota Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Her community leadership also includes membership in the Minnesota Latino Affairs Council, representing the 7th Congressional District, and contributions to the nonprofit sector through the Center for Rural Policy & Development.
Castanon’s many achievements are a direct reflection of YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote justice, and her career-long advocacy for immigrant women and survivors of domestic violence, including her work with VAWA and U Visa applications, empowers women to live with dignity and freedom.