Today, on a rainy, windy, unseasonably cold day in May, I won a cancellation of removal case at the New York immigration court. I actually want to credit my client for winning the case! It was his honesty, remorse, rehabilitation, and taking responsibility for his actions that won the case. So really, it was HE […]
NYC Immigration Attorney Ruchi Thaker Named as One of Top Women Attorneys in New York Metro Area
New York immigration attorney Ruchi Thaker was selected again to be included as one of top women attorneys in New York City Metro area for the year 2016 in the field of immigration law! Ms. Thaker is listed among a few selected women immigration lawyers in the New York City area for this honor by […]
Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in President Obama’s Executive Order Challenge
On Monday, April 18, 2016, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the highly anticipated case of US v. Texas, where President Obama’s Executive Order announcing expanded DACA and the new DAPA programs are at question. You can read the transcript of the oral arguments to see how the case was presented to […]
Old I-130 Petition Reopened and Approved
Recently, I helped a client reopen and get an approval of an old I-130 petition that had been denied on the basis that the client failed to respond to a notice for evidence that was sent to her back in 2009. The client had petitioned for her brother (Fourth Preference category) from India prior to […]
How Does a 3 Year Old Child Represent Self in Immigration Court?
Recently, an Immigration Judge said that a 3 or 4 year old child can adequately represent himself or herself in immigration court. In light of this, a group of colleagues (immigration lawyers) compiled videos of their own children to show how a young child would answer questions in immigration court (that the judge thinks would […]
DAPA and Expanded DACA are Dead (for now) – Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects President Obama’s Immigration Plan
In a 135-page decision issued on November 9, 2015, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has (unsurprisingly) ruled against President Obama’s immigration plan, which he announced on November 20, 2014, hoping to benefit over 11 million undocumented people in the United States. Obama announced the DAPA and expanded DACA programs on November 20, 2014 through […]
Citizenship Approved With Serious Criminal Convictions
Yesterday, a Client’s naturalization application was approved, despite several arrests and criminal convictions in the past. My client was very scared to file for citizenship because of her old arrest record and convictions. While her convictions were serious, after I reviewed the criminal court papers, I explained to her that under immigration law, she was […]
Extreme Hardship Waiver Granted for Fraud
Today, I won a very difficult adjustment of status case (I-485) that required an inadmissibilty waiver (I-601). My client came to the USA through Miami in 2003 from Guyana, using a fake passport, and he was immediately detained at the airport and was placed in asylum-only proceedings. He was eventually released and moved to […]
Designation of Nepal for Temporary Protected Status
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) has designated Nepal for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months, effective June 24, 2015 through December 24, 2016. Under section 244(b)(1)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Secretary is authorized to designate a foreign […]
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts President Obama’s Executive Action Plans on Immigration
Late Monday night, a federal judge in Texas ordered a temporary halt to President Obama’s Executive Action orders on immigration, the first of which, the expanded DACA program, was set to take effect on February 18, 2015. Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) was set to take effect on May 19, 2015. Judge Andrew Hanen’s […]