I am a partner at Thaker Berowitz LLP. I have been an immigration lawyer since 2002, and I focus exclusively on all areas of U.S. immigration law. As an immigration lawyer, my goal has always been to provide the highest quality of legal representation to those facing deportation or other form of separation from family and loved ones. I have successfully helped hundreds of clients with their immigration court cases, whether they were facing deportation for a simple immigration violation, such as entering the country unlawfully or overstaying a visa, to more complex situations involving criminal convictions. I have also represented clients in federal courts, at administrative interviews, and on appeals and motions before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I always want to make sure that my clients fully understand how the current U.S. immigration laws apply to their specific case, because no two cases are ever the same. At the end of the day, my first priority is to make sure that my clients have the necessary and accurate information about their immigration case, what they can and should expect as they pursue their case, and how I can help with the process.
My interest in immigration law stems from my own personal experiences when I was growing up. I immigrated from India at the age of 9. Having gone through the U.S. immigration process myself, I discovered the countless difficulties and frustrations presented by the immigration system, the lack of accurate information available, and the delays caused in the administrative process. After going through that experience, I decided that I wanted to be an immigration lawyer and help others navigate through the complicated system of U.S. immigration laws. In law school, I focused my time and experience in learning immigration law, including volunteering at an immigration lawyer’s office, working at the Newark Immigration Court in New Jersey, and working at a Manhattan immigration law firm. Following my graduation from law school, I joined a fast-paced New York City immigration law firm, where I concentrated my efforts on deportation defense, family-based immigration, and federal court litigation.
I have successfully litigated numerous groundbreaking immigration cases in federal courts that have affected not only the lives of my clients, but the lives of hundreds of other immigrants who are able to benefit from the successful litigation. In Ashley v. Ridge, 288 F.Supp.2d 662 (D.N.J. Oct. 29, 2003), the court struck down the government’s “automatic stay” of an immigration judge’s grant of a bond to a detained client, who was allowed to post a bond and released while his immigration case was pending. In Zmijewska v. Gonzales, 426 F.3d 99 (2d Cir. 2005), the court declared that an alien is not subject to the 10-year bar for failing to leave the country under voluntary departure, if she was not aware of the voluntary departure order through no fault of her own. Finally, in Matter of Zmijewska, 24 I. & N. Dec. 87 (BIA 2007), the Board of Immigration Appeals, acting on an order of the federal court, ruled that an alien has not voluntarily failed to depart the United States when the alien, through no fault of his or her own, was unaware of the voluntary departure order or was physically unable to depart within the time granted. Litigating these cases proved challenging, but rewarding, because at the end of the day, my clients benefitted from the hard-fought battle with the government.
I am licensed to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey, but because immigration law is federal I can represent any immigrant in any state in the United States or abroad. I am also licensed to practice in federal courts, including in the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern districts of New York, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Circuits. I am an active member of both the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the New York County Lawyers Association. In addition to my dedication to my clients, I have volunteered my time to judge law school competitions, and to lecture on immigration law at Hunter College in New York City.
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I am a partner at Thaker Berowitz LLP. I have been an immigration lawyer since 1993, and I concentrate on all areas of U.S. immigration law, including asylum, deportation defense (criminal and non-criminal), family-based immigration, naturalization, and consular processing. My philosophy is simple: give my clients the attention that they deserve, listen to their concerns, and work with them to present their cases in the best possible way, whether it be in immigration court or at an administrative interview. Over the years, I have successfully handled thousands of immigration cases from the simplest administrative interview to the more complex deportation and removal cases. I believe that my years of success as an immigration lawyer comes from my ability to empathize with my clients’ situations, to be able to analyze their cases clearly and efficiently and explore reasonable options with them to put forward the best case possible. Every client’s situation is different, and that is why I find it very important to talk with each of my clients regularly and learn about him or her, so that I can represent their interest to the best of my abilities.
Every immigrant has a right to have his or her day in court or before the immigration agency. I see my job as making sure that each of my clients makes the best presentation of his or her case possible, as well as advancing and protecting their interests, whether it be at an agency interview or in immigration court. When a client wins his or her case, I feel a great deal of satisfaction. In addition, when a client wins, it also means that his or her family will stay together, which brings me tremendous pleasure.
Prior to starting my own law firm with my law partner, I was a partner at a fast-paced New York City immigration law firm, where, for over 11 years, I prepared clients for their administrative interviews, litigated thousands of cases in immigration courts all over the country, and filed hundreds of appeals and motions with both the Board of Immigration Appeals and the immigration agency.
I am licensed to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey, but because immigration law is federal, I can represent an immigrant in any state in the United States. I am also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. I am married with two children, both of whom are university students. I enjoy the simple pleasures of life, such as a swim in the ocean or a walk in the woods.
Click here to schedule a consultation with me.
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