Our services always start with a consultation because each individual situation is different, and there are a variety of factors such as manner of entry, country of origin, timing, family composition, and criminal history that can impact the options available to you. Seeking immigration relief also involves risks that you need to fully understand. The purpose of the consultation is to get to know you, understand your goals, and develop a strategy together. We charge for consultations but if you hire our firm, the cost of the consultation is credited towards your legal fees.

Many immigration cases begin with filing applications with USCIS. These applications often contain questions and sections that require a deep knowledge of immigration law. Under the current administration, filing a complete and accurate application is critical. We manage the process of filing, monitoring and responding to requests for evidence once an application is filed so that you don’t have to worry. Oftentimes our clients have filed their own applications and come to us to help move things along or find out why the application has gotten stuck. We help with this as well.

Immigration interviews require preparation. I assist clients in anticipating questions and practicing answers. I also accompany clients to their interviews as their legal representative in most cases.

Once you have received a Notice to Appear, you are in removal proceedings before Immigration Court. We prepare and file all defenses to removal available to our clients. We file all necessary motions, legal briefs, and evidence to the court, negotiate with the government attorneys on the other side of the case, and appear in court for our clients. We prepare clients ahead of time to answer any potential questions that the Immigration Judge may ask.

Appeals are our specialty. With years of experience in legal research and writing, including handling immigration appeals for the federal judiciary, we can assist you in making the best possible case for overturning your denial on appeal. We do appeals of Immigration Court decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the Circuit Courts, and also appeal denials from USCIS. We also handle waivers of inadmissibility.

Immigration laws are established at the federal level, within the U.S. Congress, and administered by federal agencies. Occasionally, seeking assistance from Congressional offices can expedite your application or resolve issues in your case. With extensive experience in the U.S. Congress, we can identify scenarios where advocacy from your Congressional representative may be beneficial and help you with it.

We are actively involved with local and state-based immigrant services organizations, such as the Hawai’i Coalition for Immigrant Rights (HCIR), the Hawai’i Coalition for Civil Rights (HCCR), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Roots Reborn (based in Maui) to advocate for the rights of immigrants in Hawai’i. I have provided Know Your Rights trainings for institutions and community groups to ensure people understand their rights as immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations. Reach out if you’d like us to do a Know Your Rights training for your organization, assist with policy advocacy or provide policy advice on immigration issues.