John Amaya
Founder and Principal Attorney of Intersect Legal Affairs
John Amaya is the Founder and Principal Attorney of Intersect Legal Affairs. Previously, John was a partner at a national law firm. His practice focuses on high-stakes government investigations, national security matters, and cross-border regulatory challenges across the United States, Mexico, and Latin America.
John previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he oversaw a broad domestic and international portfolio at one of the federal government’s principal investigative agencies. In that role, he worked closely with DOJ, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of State on coordinated efforts targeting cross-border crime, including foreign corruption, trade fraud, money laundering, and export control violations, and he engaged directly with foreign governments on complex, multinational enforcement matters.
Before joining DHS, John was Senior Counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, where he led oversight investigations and advised on issues at the intersection of national security, immigration, and corporate accountability. He has extensive experience preparing executives for high-profile congressional testimony. John began his career as a trial attorney at the Department of Justice, representing the United States in federal courts nationwide in civil and criminal matters.
John has appeared as a legal and policy analyst on CNN, CNN Español, MSNBC, Univisión, and Telemundo, and speaks regularly at legal and compliance conferences in the United States and Latin America.
He earned his bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Washington, and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University Law Center. A native Spanish speaker, John is a Tribal member of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians.
Bar admissions: Washington State, District of Columbia, and U.S. Supreme Court