Some of Attorney Zarraga's Recent Immigration Successes:
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the husband of a US citizen. The couple was very young, and he had only been in the US undocumented 5 years but we were still able to show extreme hardship. The young man consular processed in Cd. Juarez Chihuahua Mexico and is now back in the US as a permanent resident.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen. The husband had been in the country undocumented for over 18 years. The man is now a US resident and back home with his wife and two minor children.
2018: Successfully represented the husband of a US citizen in getting a provisional waiver based on hardship due to infertility issues and then permanent residency in Cd. Juarez. He is now back in the US and was overjoyed that he was now able to freely visit his parents and siblings in Mexico who he had not seen in over 20 years.
2018: Successfully represented a DACA recipient in renewing DACA despite a prior DUI conviction which was reduced to a wet reckless.
2018: Successfully helped a man obtain a provisional waiver due to his wife's medical hardships. Sadly before the interview could be scheduled his wife passed away. Our office then converted the petition to a widower's self petition. The man went to his interview in Cd. Juarez and is now back in the US as a permanent resident as his wife wanted.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver and legal residency for the Mexican spouse of a US Citizen from Korea who had been together over 12 years and tried to do the provisional waiver process on their own but were denied for lack of hardship. My office refiled the provisional waiver request and got an approval. The wife is now a legal permanent resident.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen whose child died.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for a US citizen widower's new wife.
2018: Successfully helped a couple respond to a request for evidence of hardship on a provisional waiver application they originally filed on their own. The waiver was approved and the couple will be able to continue with their immigration process.
2018: Successfully helped a woman obtain permanent residency thru her US Citizen brother, she had previously been in the US undocumented for 22 years.
2018: I helped two sisters obtain permanent residency thru their father based on INA 254i after both lived 23 years undocumented in the US.
2018: I successfully assisted a woman & her son who had been brought from Central America on a U visa due to the husband being a victim of an aggravated assault. Once here she and her son became victims of domestic violence by the husband. We were able to get her and her son permanent residency despite multiple threats from the ex-husband and his lawyer that she would not legalize if she divorced him. She divorced and both are now legal permanent residents and are living a life free from domestic violence.
2018: Helped a woman who had been previously in the US undocumented for 24 years to obtain her permanent residency thru her US Citizen daughter.
2018: Successfully obtained permanent residency without having to have an interview for a man who had entered various times on a horse trainer visa.
2018: Successfully assisted U visa grantees in petitioning their spouses thru I-929 process which allowed them to apply for their residency in the US despite not having entered legally.
2018: Successfully obtained permanent residency after helping an indigenous man respond to a request for further evidence when he was abandoned by the notary that initially filed his application. The man had waited over 25 years for a visa to be available thru his father. After we responded to the request he got an approval in the mail. The man can now remain in the US with his father who was already a US Citizen. Now we are working to immigrate the man's daughter.
2018: Successfully obtained an immigrant visa for the spouse of a US Citizen who had to consular process in Cd. Juarez Chihuahua Mexico after obtaining a provisional waiver for his unlawful presence by showing hardship to his wife.
2018: Successfully obtained a U visa for a victim of domestic violence.
2017: I successfully assisted a client who had previously applied for naturalization on his own. Despite having passed the immigration civics and English exams, Immigration questioned the validity of his marriage and required he appear at an additional two interviews. After initially wanting to give up for fear of being placed in removal proceedings, I convinced the client we had to continue, after all he had nothing to hide. After several months delay, he will take his oath later this month.
2017: Successfully assisted a client who was severely abused by the father of her children to obtain lawful permanent residency after having 1st assisted her in obtaining the U visa.
2017: On a citizenship application, we received a request for further evidence which was very difficult for us to obtain, but we managed to get the evidence required and we responded timely & our 30 yr LPR Samoan National client finally received an oath notice. One more US Citizen!
2017: Successfully assisted a client through consular processing in Cd. Juarez Mexico. The client is now a legal permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver and then lawful permanent residency for a local musician who is the spouse of a US Citizen.
2017: Although it took more than a year, we were successful in getting a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen who had been the victim of domestic violence & had medical issues. The husband ended up having a medical issue himself in Cd. Juarez and he was delayed a few months in Cd. Juarez because of it but he is now back in the US with his wife and children and he is a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully represented the husband of a US Citizen who had suffered multiple miscarriages and had a daughter with seizures. We were able to obtain the husband a provisional waiver and he is back from his consular interview in Ciudad Juarez and is now a permanent resident.
2017:Successfully represented a same sex couple in obtaining a provisional waiver and consular processing, the spouse was approved in Cd. Juarez Mexico and is now back in the US and is a permanent resident.
2017:Successfully obtained an I601A for a man after proving his US Citizen wife would suffer extremely if he were denied because of medical issues for the US Citizen wife and their US Citizen child as well as other hardships. The man was approved in Cd. Juarez Mexico and is now back in the US as a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully represented a client in getting his lawful permanent residency after initially helping him obtain a U visa because he was the victim of an aggravated assault with a firearm.
2017: Successfully represented a client after his first attorney abandoned him when he received a request for further evidence regarding his prior criminal record. I represented the client in responding to that request and a two subsequent requests for further evidence. He was eventually approved and is now a lawful permanent residency.
2017:Successfully obtained permanent residency for a client who I previously assisted in obtaining a U visa based on domestic violence.
2017: Successfully obtained permanent residency for a client who I also assisted in obtaining a U visa based on her rape.
2017: Successfully obtained permanent residency for a victim of rape who had been previously granted a U visa. The client had an extensive criminal record as well as a prior deportation. The non profit that assisted her in the U visa referred her to me because the case was complicated. She now has her lawful permanent residency.
2017:Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a client who was the recipient of a U visa for being the victim of a rape.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a single mom of 6 who had an old version of 245i thru her ex husband. Applied for her residency thru her US Citizen son with a waiver for bringing AKA "smuggling" her minor children when she crossed into the US undocumented. This single mother is now a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a DACA client who was able to legalize based on 245i grandfathering and a US Citizen husband.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a client who originally got DACA in 2012. She then applied for and received advance parole for humanitarian reasons became eligible to file for residency when she married her US Citizen husband.
2017: On a pro bono basis, I successfully assisted a man to obtain his legal residency thru cancellation of removal. The man's US Citizen wife applied on her own for her husband to get his documents many years ago. USCIS denied his adjustment because he did not qualify as he had entered the country undocumented, and he was placed in removal proceedings after she filed several more applications for him thru the years. The couple finally hired an attorney who filed partial documentation, but then abandoned them and did not show up to their hearings and told them she would not be showing up to their final hearing. I was able to supplement the filing with the missing information, provide proof of the US Citizen wife's double lung transplant and delicate health condition, and proof that the man met the requirements for cancellation. Despite ICE trial attorney objecting to my last minute large supplement to the evidence and my request to represent the clients, the Immigration Judge allowed me to proceed and though the judge initially granted administrative closure, shortly afterward, the Immigration Judge reopened the case and issued an order granting the man one of very few Cancellations of removal b/c his wife's health condition was so delicate. ICE failed to appeal within the statutory period, so we immediately went to USCIS with the Judge's order in hand and this man has now received his lawful permanent residency card.
2017: Successfully assisted a US Citizen originally from El Salvador to obtain a provisional waiver for her husband, a Mexican National. The family went to a notary and their waiver was denied. They are now back in the US and the husband is now a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained expedited processing of three long pending U visa cases after showing urgent humanitarian need & positive discretionary factors existed in all three unrelated cases. The victims are all now on the statutory wait list for a U visa and each have been granted employment authorization which allows them to show lawful status, makes them eligible for regular driver's licenses, expanded government aid and valid social security numbers.
2017: Successfully obtained an I601 regular waiver for the spouse of a Mexican National Legal Permanent resident who was initially denied a visa at Ciudad Juarez and told she had a 10 year bar for having entered the US undocumented and having remained unlawfully for over one year. The husband's notary did not tell them of the 10 year bar prior to her exit. Had they come to see me earlier, we would have requested an I601A and avoided this family separation. The family can now reunite after being separated for 1 year and 3 months.
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2016: Successfully represented a client on a request for expedited processing of her U visa after she waited 1 yr and 11 months for a decision. She was granted deferred action and put on the official waiting list and is now eligible for employment authorization until a U visa becomes available.
2016: Successfully represented a man who filed his own citizenship application and received a request for evidence that he met the continuous presence requirement to naturalize. We submitted the necessary proof and after an initial delay, his application was approved and he is now a US Citizen, just in time to register to vote in the presidential election!
2016: Successfully obtained Lawful Permanent Residence for a victim of sexual assault despite her own extensive criminal record.
2016: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residence, after a successful I601A waiver for the wife of a US Citizen who needs a kidney transplant.
2016: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residence for my very first U visa client from 2013, who was the victim of domestic violence, she's now a permanent resident!
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen based on extreme hardship due to recent family death, loss of their home and trauma based on a prior abusive relationship.
2016: Successfully represented a deaf LPR in his 2nd Naturalization and request for medical and oath waiver. The man was denied when he filed on his own. Our office refiled for him and at the initial interview the USCIS officer questioned my ethics for charging this man for what the Officer said was a loser case. I didn't disclose to the officer that I took the case at a very low fee which would basically barely cover my own costs. It is not USCIS's business what I charge and USCIS officers shouldn't speculate that cases are unfeasible, especially in front of the client and I. It was precisely because of the added complication of applying for a medical and oath waiver that this man needed me as his attorney.
It literally took a few days for me to recover from the USCIS officers' rude and unprofessional for remarks. But after I did, I went to work with even more passion and determination to get this man his waivers and his citizenship. USCIS requested a new medical report from his primary doctor or a specialist. The man had no primary doctor, he was uninsured and all his prior doctors had all retired. After being unable to find him a specialist who would agree to do a medical report. I immersed myself in literature about the deaf, cochlear implants and the impact of being born deaf on the ability to learn language.
Because of my research, I was able to converse with the doctor who did the initial medical report, it was a collaborative effort, we worked on the medical waiver language together and resubmitted it to Immigration. The second USCIS officer was very professional, but he stated that the man would likely be denied the oath waiver and possibly have to get a third medical report from another doctor. I presented USCIS's own written policy to the officer and explained how my client qualified for a medical waiver and an oath waiver and the officer agreed, but stated he had to send it to a supervisor for review. After a very long delay, we were informed that our client's medical waiver of the English/Civics test as well as the waiver of the oath was granted! It was truly an uphill battle, but in the end we were successful. This longtime permanent resident is now a US Citizen!
2016: Successfully obtained financial assistance from a local foreign consulate office on behalf of numerous clients who were in economic need.
2016: Successfully obtained I601A approval for the Mexican National spouse of a US Citizen by proving extreme financial hardship and medical hardships to mom because of their child's severe and life threatening food allergy.
2016: Successfully obtained ICE release and halted removal proceedings for a man with a pending U visa after PC261.5 charges were dismissed against him.
2016: I assisted an illiterate legal permanent resident who was wrongfully terminated from his job to connect with the Department of Justice who advocated on his behalf because of the illegal termination. The man is now back at his job and was paid back due wages for the week he was out of work due to the wrongful termination.
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen by proving extreme hardship based on her debilitating migraines, extreme financial dependence on her husband's income and diagnosis of depression. After an unexpected delay due to the Consulate in EL Salvador referring the Husband to a Psychologist for a DUI which was over 15 years old and did not make him inadmissible and after requesting documents that we had previously provided, the Husband is now back in the US with his family and he's a lawful permanent resident.
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen by proving extreme hardship due to prior domestic violence and homelessness.
2016: Successfully obtained I-601A waiver for the husband of a US Citizen despite the fact that they had no children. We were able to prove extreme financial, educational and other hardships related to country conditions in Mexico.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen. The husband had been in the country undocumented for over 18 years. The man is now a US resident and back home with his wife and two minor children.
2018: Successfully represented the husband of a US citizen in getting a provisional waiver based on hardship due to infertility issues and then permanent residency in Cd. Juarez. He is now back in the US and was overjoyed that he was now able to freely visit his parents and siblings in Mexico who he had not seen in over 20 years.
2018: Successfully represented a DACA recipient in renewing DACA despite a prior DUI conviction which was reduced to a wet reckless.
2018: Successfully helped a man obtain a provisional waiver due to his wife's medical hardships. Sadly before the interview could be scheduled his wife passed away. Our office then converted the petition to a widower's self petition. The man went to his interview in Cd. Juarez and is now back in the US as a permanent resident as his wife wanted.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver and legal residency for the Mexican spouse of a US Citizen from Korea who had been together over 12 years and tried to do the provisional waiver process on their own but were denied for lack of hardship. My office refiled the provisional waiver request and got an approval. The wife is now a legal permanent resident.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen whose child died.
2018: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for a US citizen widower's new wife.
2018: Successfully helped a couple respond to a request for evidence of hardship on a provisional waiver application they originally filed on their own. The waiver was approved and the couple will be able to continue with their immigration process.
2018: Successfully helped a woman obtain permanent residency thru her US Citizen brother, she had previously been in the US undocumented for 22 years.
2018: I helped two sisters obtain permanent residency thru their father based on INA 254i after both lived 23 years undocumented in the US.
2018: I successfully assisted a woman & her son who had been brought from Central America on a U visa due to the husband being a victim of an aggravated assault. Once here she and her son became victims of domestic violence by the husband. We were able to get her and her son permanent residency despite multiple threats from the ex-husband and his lawyer that she would not legalize if she divorced him. She divorced and both are now legal permanent residents and are living a life free from domestic violence.
2018: Helped a woman who had been previously in the US undocumented for 24 years to obtain her permanent residency thru her US Citizen daughter.
2018: Successfully obtained permanent residency without having to have an interview for a man who had entered various times on a horse trainer visa.
2018: Successfully assisted U visa grantees in petitioning their spouses thru I-929 process which allowed them to apply for their residency in the US despite not having entered legally.
2018: Successfully obtained permanent residency after helping an indigenous man respond to a request for further evidence when he was abandoned by the notary that initially filed his application. The man had waited over 25 years for a visa to be available thru his father. After we responded to the request he got an approval in the mail. The man can now remain in the US with his father who was already a US Citizen. Now we are working to immigrate the man's daughter.
2018: Successfully obtained an immigrant visa for the spouse of a US Citizen who had to consular process in Cd. Juarez Chihuahua Mexico after obtaining a provisional waiver for his unlawful presence by showing hardship to his wife.
2018: Successfully obtained a U visa for a victim of domestic violence.
2017: I successfully assisted a client who had previously applied for naturalization on his own. Despite having passed the immigration civics and English exams, Immigration questioned the validity of his marriage and required he appear at an additional two interviews. After initially wanting to give up for fear of being placed in removal proceedings, I convinced the client we had to continue, after all he had nothing to hide. After several months delay, he will take his oath later this month.
2017: Successfully assisted a client who was severely abused by the father of her children to obtain lawful permanent residency after having 1st assisted her in obtaining the U visa.
2017: On a citizenship application, we received a request for further evidence which was very difficult for us to obtain, but we managed to get the evidence required and we responded timely & our 30 yr LPR Samoan National client finally received an oath notice. One more US Citizen!
2017: Successfully assisted a client through consular processing in Cd. Juarez Mexico. The client is now a legal permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver and then lawful permanent residency for a local musician who is the spouse of a US Citizen.
2017: Although it took more than a year, we were successful in getting a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen who had been the victim of domestic violence & had medical issues. The husband ended up having a medical issue himself in Cd. Juarez and he was delayed a few months in Cd. Juarez because of it but he is now back in the US with his wife and children and he is a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully represented the husband of a US Citizen who had suffered multiple miscarriages and had a daughter with seizures. We were able to obtain the husband a provisional waiver and he is back from his consular interview in Ciudad Juarez and is now a permanent resident.
2017:Successfully represented a same sex couple in obtaining a provisional waiver and consular processing, the spouse was approved in Cd. Juarez Mexico and is now back in the US and is a permanent resident.
2017:Successfully obtained an I601A for a man after proving his US Citizen wife would suffer extremely if he were denied because of medical issues for the US Citizen wife and their US Citizen child as well as other hardships. The man was approved in Cd. Juarez Mexico and is now back in the US as a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully represented a client in getting his lawful permanent residency after initially helping him obtain a U visa because he was the victim of an aggravated assault with a firearm.
2017: Successfully represented a client after his first attorney abandoned him when he received a request for further evidence regarding his prior criminal record. I represented the client in responding to that request and a two subsequent requests for further evidence. He was eventually approved and is now a lawful permanent residency.
2017:Successfully obtained permanent residency for a client who I previously assisted in obtaining a U visa based on domestic violence.
2017: Successfully obtained permanent residency for a client who I also assisted in obtaining a U visa based on her rape.
2017: Successfully obtained permanent residency for a victim of rape who had been previously granted a U visa. The client had an extensive criminal record as well as a prior deportation. The non profit that assisted her in the U visa referred her to me because the case was complicated. She now has her lawful permanent residency.
2017:Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a client who was the recipient of a U visa for being the victim of a rape.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a single mom of 6 who had an old version of 245i thru her ex husband. Applied for her residency thru her US Citizen son with a waiver for bringing AKA "smuggling" her minor children when she crossed into the US undocumented. This single mother is now a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a DACA client who was able to legalize based on 245i grandfathering and a US Citizen husband.
2017: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residency for a client who originally got DACA in 2012. She then applied for and received advance parole for humanitarian reasons became eligible to file for residency when she married her US Citizen husband.
2017: On a pro bono basis, I successfully assisted a man to obtain his legal residency thru cancellation of removal. The man's US Citizen wife applied on her own for her husband to get his documents many years ago. USCIS denied his adjustment because he did not qualify as he had entered the country undocumented, and he was placed in removal proceedings after she filed several more applications for him thru the years. The couple finally hired an attorney who filed partial documentation, but then abandoned them and did not show up to their hearings and told them she would not be showing up to their final hearing. I was able to supplement the filing with the missing information, provide proof of the US Citizen wife's double lung transplant and delicate health condition, and proof that the man met the requirements for cancellation. Despite ICE trial attorney objecting to my last minute large supplement to the evidence and my request to represent the clients, the Immigration Judge allowed me to proceed and though the judge initially granted administrative closure, shortly afterward, the Immigration Judge reopened the case and issued an order granting the man one of very few Cancellations of removal b/c his wife's health condition was so delicate. ICE failed to appeal within the statutory period, so we immediately went to USCIS with the Judge's order in hand and this man has now received his lawful permanent residency card.
2017: Successfully assisted a US Citizen originally from El Salvador to obtain a provisional waiver for her husband, a Mexican National. The family went to a notary and their waiver was denied. They are now back in the US and the husband is now a lawful permanent resident.
2017: Successfully obtained expedited processing of three long pending U visa cases after showing urgent humanitarian need & positive discretionary factors existed in all three unrelated cases. The victims are all now on the statutory wait list for a U visa and each have been granted employment authorization which allows them to show lawful status, makes them eligible for regular driver's licenses, expanded government aid and valid social security numbers.
2017: Successfully obtained an I601 regular waiver for the spouse of a Mexican National Legal Permanent resident who was initially denied a visa at Ciudad Juarez and told she had a 10 year bar for having entered the US undocumented and having remained unlawfully for over one year. The husband's notary did not tell them of the 10 year bar prior to her exit. Had they come to see me earlier, we would have requested an I601A and avoided this family separation. The family can now reunite after being separated for 1 year and 3 months.
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2016: Successfully represented a client on a request for expedited processing of her U visa after she waited 1 yr and 11 months for a decision. She was granted deferred action and put on the official waiting list and is now eligible for employment authorization until a U visa becomes available.
2016: Successfully represented a man who filed his own citizenship application and received a request for evidence that he met the continuous presence requirement to naturalize. We submitted the necessary proof and after an initial delay, his application was approved and he is now a US Citizen, just in time to register to vote in the presidential election!
2016: Successfully obtained Lawful Permanent Residence for a victim of sexual assault despite her own extensive criminal record.
2016: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residence, after a successful I601A waiver for the wife of a US Citizen who needs a kidney transplant.
2016: Successfully obtained lawful permanent residence for my very first U visa client from 2013, who was the victim of domestic violence, she's now a permanent resident!
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen based on extreme hardship due to recent family death, loss of their home and trauma based on a prior abusive relationship.
2016: Successfully represented a deaf LPR in his 2nd Naturalization and request for medical and oath waiver. The man was denied when he filed on his own. Our office refiled for him and at the initial interview the USCIS officer questioned my ethics for charging this man for what the Officer said was a loser case. I didn't disclose to the officer that I took the case at a very low fee which would basically barely cover my own costs. It is not USCIS's business what I charge and USCIS officers shouldn't speculate that cases are unfeasible, especially in front of the client and I. It was precisely because of the added complication of applying for a medical and oath waiver that this man needed me as his attorney.
It literally took a few days for me to recover from the USCIS officers' rude and unprofessional for remarks. But after I did, I went to work with even more passion and determination to get this man his waivers and his citizenship. USCIS requested a new medical report from his primary doctor or a specialist. The man had no primary doctor, he was uninsured and all his prior doctors had all retired. After being unable to find him a specialist who would agree to do a medical report. I immersed myself in literature about the deaf, cochlear implants and the impact of being born deaf on the ability to learn language.
Because of my research, I was able to converse with the doctor who did the initial medical report, it was a collaborative effort, we worked on the medical waiver language together and resubmitted it to Immigration. The second USCIS officer was very professional, but he stated that the man would likely be denied the oath waiver and possibly have to get a third medical report from another doctor. I presented USCIS's own written policy to the officer and explained how my client qualified for a medical waiver and an oath waiver and the officer agreed, but stated he had to send it to a supervisor for review. After a very long delay, we were informed that our client's medical waiver of the English/Civics test as well as the waiver of the oath was granted! It was truly an uphill battle, but in the end we were successful. This longtime permanent resident is now a US Citizen!
2016: Successfully obtained financial assistance from a local foreign consulate office on behalf of numerous clients who were in economic need.
2016: Successfully obtained I601A approval for the Mexican National spouse of a US Citizen by proving extreme financial hardship and medical hardships to mom because of their child's severe and life threatening food allergy.
2016: Successfully obtained ICE release and halted removal proceedings for a man with a pending U visa after PC261.5 charges were dismissed against him.
2016: I assisted an illiterate legal permanent resident who was wrongfully terminated from his job to connect with the Department of Justice who advocated on his behalf because of the illegal termination. The man is now back at his job and was paid back due wages for the week he was out of work due to the wrongful termination.
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen by proving extreme hardship based on her debilitating migraines, extreme financial dependence on her husband's income and diagnosis of depression. After an unexpected delay due to the Consulate in EL Salvador referring the Husband to a Psychologist for a DUI which was over 15 years old and did not make him inadmissible and after requesting documents that we had previously provided, the Husband is now back in the US with his family and he's a lawful permanent resident.
2016: Successfully obtained a provisional waiver for the husband of a US Citizen by proving extreme hardship due to prior domestic violence and homelessness.
2016: Successfully obtained I-601A waiver for the husband of a US Citizen despite the fact that they had no children. We were able to prove extreme financial, educational and other hardships related to country conditions in Mexico.
2016: Successfully represented a conditional permanent resident from the Philippines after she missed the filing deadline by two years & then she mistakenly filed the wrong application. USCIS sent her a termination letter & placed her in removal proceedings. She is now a legal permanent resident & is immediately eligible to apply for citizenship. Her removal proceedings are now be terminated & she gets to remain in the US with her US citizen husband.
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2015: Successfully represented a Mexican national who was the victim of notario fraud. The case was denied because the notario did not respond to the request for more evidence on the I601A. Then the couple rec'd a notice that the NVC terminated their case too because of the notario's failure to communicate. We got the NVC case re-opened and refilled the provisional waiver which was approved.
2015: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case for a young boy who entered the US undocumented to reunite with his family after his grandmother died since he had no other caregiver. Over the course of 1 year DHS denied our repeated requests for administrative closure. We were denied three times and then DHS actually filed documents opposing the boys voluntary departure, his only form of relief since our request had been denied. DHS filing an opposition to voluntary departure is almost unheard of for a young boy who was not a flight risk or a danger to the community. At one of the hearings I found out that DHS had already erroneously deported the young boy once and charged him with illegal entry even though he was a minor. The young boy was to be deported again at the last hearing unless DHS somehow changed their mind. It was a HUGE longshot, I almost lost all hope. But I reached out to local liaisons for help and they encouraged me to resubmit my request for prosecutorial discretion again. I did. And heard nothing until the very morning of what was to be our last hearing in immigration court I received a phone call and email from DHS that they were granting my 4th request for prosecutorial discretion, this was completely unexpected. But it was the right thing. We went to our last hearing and put the joint motion to administratively close the case on the record. The deportation case is now admin closed and the young boy gets to remain with his family in the US.
2015: Successfully assisted a US Army veteran to obtain a I-601 waiver for his wife in Mexico. They are now all together living in the US with their 5 year old.
2015: Volunteered 8 days with other pro bono attorneys to represent women & children who were detained by our government in Dilley Texas, not because they committed any crime or because they were caught entering the US illegally. These women and children fled persecution and sought protection at our borders and the US government made a decision to lock them up because they erroneously thought this would be a deterrent to others seeking asylum. For eight days I helped to represent some of the detained women and children, mostly from Central America. I helped prepare them for their credible fear interviews, represented them in court, represented them in bond hearings, explained their rights and the process to them. We were successful in most cases, proving that having access to an attorney is crucial to success in asylum cases.
2015: Successfully assisted many people at free Immigration clinics on a pro bono basis.
2015: Successfully obtained an I-601A waiver for the El Salvadorian spouse of a US Citizen.
2015: Successfully assisted with a naturalization of a client who had been charged with smuggling and check fraud.
2015: Successfully assisted an elderly client & her husband to naturalize (become US Citizens) after each spent over 4 decades as legal permanent residents because they were afraid to naturalize due to some very old criminal history.
2015: Successfully assisted clients in obtaining employment authorization for their pending U visas because they were placed under deferred action based on the U visa cap being reached.
2015: Successfully received initial DACA and DACA renewal approvals.
2015: Successfully obtained an approval of an I-601 waiver for smuggling and Adjustment of Status based on 245i for a client who entered the country undocumented with her minor children.
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2014: Successfully obtained an I-601A provisional waiver for an applicant with a DUI approval after initially receiving a boilerplate request for evidence.
2014: Successfully obtained a waiver of the joint filing requirement based on emotional abuse to a conditional resident spouse after receiving a boilerplate request for further evidence of abuse.
2014: Successfully obtained parole in place for a US navy veteran's same sex spouse who entered the country without inspection.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of an I-130 after the couple received an extensive request for further evidence of the bonafides of their marriage.
2014: Successfully obtained parole in place for the undocumented husband of an active reserve member of the US Army. I then successfully obtained adjustment of status for him (he was granted his legal residency). The officer stated were the first to apply for PIP under the new regulations and only the second to adjust under the new regulations at the local Santa Clara CA USCIS field office.
2014: Successfully obtained renewal of DACA for many clients.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a waiver for a U visa applicant with an extensive criminal record.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of an I-130 for a marriage that took place while deportation proceedings were pending.
2014: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case in order to pursue a provisional waiver.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a regular I-601 waiver for the 3 year bar that applied to the daughter of a US Citizen who was previously granted DACA and assisted by a former attorney who did not advise her of the consequences of leaving the country, even with DACA status. After the visa was denied, and the client informed of the 3 year bar, the Attorney did not return her phone calls. I filed a waiver showing extreme hardship to her USC citizen father. The waiver was approved and the family is back together in the US. Daughter is now a legal permanent resident.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a regular I-601 waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen who was previously assisted by an attorney who did not inform them that a 10 year bar would apply and wife would require a waiver for unlawful presence and for assisting her minor children to enter the US undocumented. The prior attorney did not return calls after the visa was denied. My office filed a waiver for unlawful presence and explained that wife was not inadmissible for smuggling because she fell within a narrow exception. The waiver was approved and the family is reunited in the US. Wife is now a legal permanent resident.
2014: Successfully assisted a spouse of a US Citizen in obtaining approval of a provisional waiver I-601A. Husband is now back in the US as a legal permanent resident and most importantly he is back with his family.
2014: I successfully assisted a client who vaguely recalled entering the country at the age of 10 after an interview but thereafter she was abused and abandoned by her parents so she had at all times thought she was in the US illegally. This client had previously went to another attorney who filed a FOIA that supposedly turned up empty, so the client didn't want to file another FOIA but I was able to convince her to trust me and we filed another FOIA. It would have been very easy for me to just rely on what the other attorney did and go for the really obvious alternative options that were available to her; she was the victim of abuse so we could have easily applied for a U visa & she also met all the DACA requirements so we could have also applied for DACA. But as an Attorney my obligation is to confirm for myself, and not rely on what others say or do. DACA by the way was the reason she came to consult with me, but the more facts I got from her the more my hunch grew that she was possibly already legal. We finally received the FOIA results and they revealed she is in-fact already a legal permanent resident! Has been since the age of 10 years old! My office is now preparing a naturalization application for her. On a Pro Bono basis of course!
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2013: I successfully assisted a client who was grandfathered under 245i and had patiently waited to adjust since 1993. He is now a legal permanent resident.
2013: Successfully obtained more time to respond to a request for further evidence after a client originally filed on his own for his step children. It is an unusual case because stepchildren are recognized by immigration law just the same as biological children. The problem in this case was that mom didn't register the birth of her children until many years after they were born. Therefore we needed to prove that mom was really the biological mom therefore proving the stepfather stepchild relationship between client and stepchildren. I successfully assisted client in getting DNA testing for mom and two step kids one in Mexico and one in the US. I-130 petitions were approved.
2013: Successfully assisted clients living in Mexico in applying for and obtaining temporary visitor visas to visit family in the US.
2013: Successfully convinced a local sheriff's Dept. to NOT honor an ICE hold and allow my client to post bail just a week after the local Sheriff's Dept. announced their new ICE policy.
2013: Successfully negotiated an Immigration bonds for clients taken into ICE custody.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client who had previously been denied after filing on his own.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client despite the fact that he failed to disclose to me until the interview and only after the Immigration agent asked him repeatedly about the fact that he had been deported twice, convicted for domestic violence and actually had two different A numbers...I didn't see any of that coming...But it taught me the importance of asking clients repeatedly, not just at the consultation but again at each meeting about their past, and no matter what the client says- thanks to this particular client- my office policy is now to run FBI prints and FOIA on all clients. I refuse to be caught off guard again by my clients lies at the last minute. Nonetheless, even with his shady past this particular client is now a US Citizen thanks to hard work and quick thinking legal advocacy.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client who had a significant criminal record.
2013: Successfully represented Naturalization, DACA, LPR & U visa clients in responding to RFE's which resulted in approvals; each originally filed with the help of notarios who either refused to continue to assist them or told them their case would be denied and there was nothing further they could do.
2013: Successfully obtained U visas for an entire family (in record time) only 5 months after filing.
2013: Successfully obtained U visas for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation and armed robberies.
2013: Successfully assisted many clients in immigrating their parents, spouses and children to the US.
2013: With the help of a local DA child abduction investigator & the department of state I assisted a victim of domestic violence on a pro bono basis to apply under the Hague Convention for the return of her 3 children after their father kidnapped them & took them to Mexico. The children our now back with their mother in the US.
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2012: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case after LPR client was charged with abandoning legal residency, client has since renewed her legal residency.
2012: Successfully represented a local bankruptcy trustee in obtaining a refund of money that a debtor paid for debt consolidation, bankruptcy and loan modification services that were not rendered by another law firm.
2012: Successfully obtained immigration bonds for many clients with ICE holds
2012: Successfully obtained DACA approvals and work permits for many dreamers
2012: Successfully convinced Immigration to remove an ICE hold after proving that client was in fact a US citizen. Client had a permanent residency card and for his entire life believed that he was a permanent resident. Prior to retaining Attorney Zarraga he pled guilty to felony drug charges, which as a permanent resident would cause him to be deported. Attorney Zarraga was convinced that although he was born in Mexico and always thought himself to be a permanent resident, he had in fact derived US Citizenship from his US Citizen mother based on the laws that were in place when he was born. Attorney Zarraga successfully proved this to Immigration officers who agreed to lift the ICE hold. The client was released to his family upon completion of his criminal sentence instead of being deported. He now has a US passport as evidence of his citizenship.
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2011: Successfully assisted many clients in renewing their green cards.
2011: Successfully represented a man in obtaining his drivers license after a four year suspension for unpaid parking tickets. This man had been driving with an expired license for 4 years because he didn't know what to do to get his license back. Attorney Zarraga was able to remove the suspension and in three days the man went to DMV and obtained a temporary drivers license.
2011: Successfully assisted many clients in applying for fee waivers through USCIS.
2011: Assisted clients in applying for their naturalization & they are now U.S. Citizens.
In 2011, client was charged with misdemeanor petty theft, I obtained a civil compromise & charge was dropped to an infraction, no theft offender classes were required, informal probation and a fine was all that was imposed.
In 2011, I successfully obtained for one of my bankruptcy clients a great HAMP modification on their mortgage. The client had previously been denied twice by his lender and could not have afforded to keep his house without the modification. With my assistance his HAMP modification was approved and it significantly reduced his monthly payment, fixed his interest rate and gave him a principal forgiveness of over $100,000.
In 2011, I successfully represented a US Citizen in obtaining a fiancè visa.
In 2011, I represented a man successfully in his dissolution case, he was granted visitation with his three children and a reduction in his child support obligation when we were able to show mother was in fact earning more thanshe had stated.
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In 2010, I successfully represented a victim of domestic abuse and bigamy in obtaining a restraining order, custody of her children and a marriage annulment.
2015: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case for a young boy who entered the US undocumented to reunite with his family after his grandmother died since he had no other caregiver. Over the course of 1 year DHS denied our repeated requests for administrative closure. We were denied three times and then DHS actually filed documents opposing the boys voluntary departure, his only form of relief since our request had been denied. DHS filing an opposition to voluntary departure is almost unheard of for a young boy who was not a flight risk or a danger to the community. At one of the hearings I found out that DHS had already erroneously deported the young boy once and charged him with illegal entry even though he was a minor. The young boy was to be deported again at the last hearing unless DHS somehow changed their mind. It was a HUGE longshot, I almost lost all hope. But I reached out to local liaisons for help and they encouraged me to resubmit my request for prosecutorial discretion again. I did. And heard nothing until the very morning of what was to be our last hearing in immigration court I received a phone call and email from DHS that they were granting my 4th request for prosecutorial discretion, this was completely unexpected. But it was the right thing. We went to our last hearing and put the joint motion to administratively close the case on the record. The deportation case is now admin closed and the young boy gets to remain with his family in the US.
2015: Successfully assisted a US Army veteran to obtain a I-601 waiver for his wife in Mexico. They are now all together living in the US with their 5 year old.
2015: Volunteered 8 days with other pro bono attorneys to represent women & children who were detained by our government in Dilley Texas, not because they committed any crime or because they were caught entering the US illegally. These women and children fled persecution and sought protection at our borders and the US government made a decision to lock them up because they erroneously thought this would be a deterrent to others seeking asylum. For eight days I helped to represent some of the detained women and children, mostly from Central America. I helped prepare them for their credible fear interviews, represented them in court, represented them in bond hearings, explained their rights and the process to them. We were successful in most cases, proving that having access to an attorney is crucial to success in asylum cases.
2015: Successfully assisted many people at free Immigration clinics on a pro bono basis.
2015: Successfully obtained an I-601A waiver for the El Salvadorian spouse of a US Citizen.
2015: Successfully assisted with a naturalization of a client who had been charged with smuggling and check fraud.
2015: Successfully assisted an elderly client & her husband to naturalize (become US Citizens) after each spent over 4 decades as legal permanent residents because they were afraid to naturalize due to some very old criminal history.
2015: Successfully assisted clients in obtaining employment authorization for their pending U visas because they were placed under deferred action based on the U visa cap being reached.
2015: Successfully received initial DACA and DACA renewal approvals.
2015: Successfully obtained an approval of an I-601 waiver for smuggling and Adjustment of Status based on 245i for a client who entered the country undocumented with her minor children.
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2014: Successfully obtained an I-601A provisional waiver for an applicant with a DUI approval after initially receiving a boilerplate request for evidence.
2014: Successfully obtained a waiver of the joint filing requirement based on emotional abuse to a conditional resident spouse after receiving a boilerplate request for further evidence of abuse.
2014: Successfully obtained parole in place for a US navy veteran's same sex spouse who entered the country without inspection.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of an I-130 after the couple received an extensive request for further evidence of the bonafides of their marriage.
2014: Successfully obtained parole in place for the undocumented husband of an active reserve member of the US Army. I then successfully obtained adjustment of status for him (he was granted his legal residency). The officer stated were the first to apply for PIP under the new regulations and only the second to adjust under the new regulations at the local Santa Clara CA USCIS field office.
2014: Successfully obtained renewal of DACA for many clients.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a waiver for a U visa applicant with an extensive criminal record.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of an I-130 for a marriage that took place while deportation proceedings were pending.
2014: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case in order to pursue a provisional waiver.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a regular I-601 waiver for the 3 year bar that applied to the daughter of a US Citizen who was previously granted DACA and assisted by a former attorney who did not advise her of the consequences of leaving the country, even with DACA status. After the visa was denied, and the client informed of the 3 year bar, the Attorney did not return her phone calls. I filed a waiver showing extreme hardship to her USC citizen father. The waiver was approved and the family is back together in the US. Daughter is now a legal permanent resident.
2014: Successfully obtained approval of a regular I-601 waiver for the spouse of a US Citizen who was previously assisted by an attorney who did not inform them that a 10 year bar would apply and wife would require a waiver for unlawful presence and for assisting her minor children to enter the US undocumented. The prior attorney did not return calls after the visa was denied. My office filed a waiver for unlawful presence and explained that wife was not inadmissible for smuggling because she fell within a narrow exception. The waiver was approved and the family is reunited in the US. Wife is now a legal permanent resident.
2014: Successfully assisted a spouse of a US Citizen in obtaining approval of a provisional waiver I-601A. Husband is now back in the US as a legal permanent resident and most importantly he is back with his family.
2014: I successfully assisted a client who vaguely recalled entering the country at the age of 10 after an interview but thereafter she was abused and abandoned by her parents so she had at all times thought she was in the US illegally. This client had previously went to another attorney who filed a FOIA that supposedly turned up empty, so the client didn't want to file another FOIA but I was able to convince her to trust me and we filed another FOIA. It would have been very easy for me to just rely on what the other attorney did and go for the really obvious alternative options that were available to her; she was the victim of abuse so we could have easily applied for a U visa & she also met all the DACA requirements so we could have also applied for DACA. But as an Attorney my obligation is to confirm for myself, and not rely on what others say or do. DACA by the way was the reason she came to consult with me, but the more facts I got from her the more my hunch grew that she was possibly already legal. We finally received the FOIA results and they revealed she is in-fact already a legal permanent resident! Has been since the age of 10 years old! My office is now preparing a naturalization application for her. On a Pro Bono basis of course!
****************************************************************************
2013: I successfully assisted a client who was grandfathered under 245i and had patiently waited to adjust since 1993. He is now a legal permanent resident.
2013: Successfully obtained more time to respond to a request for further evidence after a client originally filed on his own for his step children. It is an unusual case because stepchildren are recognized by immigration law just the same as biological children. The problem in this case was that mom didn't register the birth of her children until many years after they were born. Therefore we needed to prove that mom was really the biological mom therefore proving the stepfather stepchild relationship between client and stepchildren. I successfully assisted client in getting DNA testing for mom and two step kids one in Mexico and one in the US. I-130 petitions were approved.
2013: Successfully assisted clients living in Mexico in applying for and obtaining temporary visitor visas to visit family in the US.
2013: Successfully convinced a local sheriff's Dept. to NOT honor an ICE hold and allow my client to post bail just a week after the local Sheriff's Dept. announced their new ICE policy.
2013: Successfully negotiated an Immigration bonds for clients taken into ICE custody.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client who had previously been denied after filing on his own.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client despite the fact that he failed to disclose to me until the interview and only after the Immigration agent asked him repeatedly about the fact that he had been deported twice, convicted for domestic violence and actually had two different A numbers...I didn't see any of that coming...But it taught me the importance of asking clients repeatedly, not just at the consultation but again at each meeting about their past, and no matter what the client says- thanks to this particular client- my office policy is now to run FBI prints and FOIA on all clients. I refuse to be caught off guard again by my clients lies at the last minute. Nonetheless, even with his shady past this particular client is now a US Citizen thanks to hard work and quick thinking legal advocacy.
2013: Successfully obtained Naturalization for a client who had a significant criminal record.
2013: Successfully represented Naturalization, DACA, LPR & U visa clients in responding to RFE's which resulted in approvals; each originally filed with the help of notarios who either refused to continue to assist them or told them their case would be denied and there was nothing further they could do.
2013: Successfully obtained U visas for an entire family (in record time) only 5 months after filing.
2013: Successfully obtained U visas for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation and armed robberies.
2013: Successfully assisted many clients in immigrating their parents, spouses and children to the US.
2013: With the help of a local DA child abduction investigator & the department of state I assisted a victim of domestic violence on a pro bono basis to apply under the Hague Convention for the return of her 3 children after their father kidnapped them & took them to Mexico. The children our now back with their mother in the US.
**************************************************************
2012: Successfully obtained administrative closure of a deportation case after LPR client was charged with abandoning legal residency, client has since renewed her legal residency.
2012: Successfully represented a local bankruptcy trustee in obtaining a refund of money that a debtor paid for debt consolidation, bankruptcy and loan modification services that were not rendered by another law firm.
2012: Successfully obtained immigration bonds for many clients with ICE holds
2012: Successfully obtained DACA approvals and work permits for many dreamers
2012: Successfully convinced Immigration to remove an ICE hold after proving that client was in fact a US citizen. Client had a permanent residency card and for his entire life believed that he was a permanent resident. Prior to retaining Attorney Zarraga he pled guilty to felony drug charges, which as a permanent resident would cause him to be deported. Attorney Zarraga was convinced that although he was born in Mexico and always thought himself to be a permanent resident, he had in fact derived US Citizenship from his US Citizen mother based on the laws that were in place when he was born. Attorney Zarraga successfully proved this to Immigration officers who agreed to lift the ICE hold. The client was released to his family upon completion of his criminal sentence instead of being deported. He now has a US passport as evidence of his citizenship.
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2011: Successfully assisted many clients in renewing their green cards.
2011: Successfully represented a man in obtaining his drivers license after a four year suspension for unpaid parking tickets. This man had been driving with an expired license for 4 years because he didn't know what to do to get his license back. Attorney Zarraga was able to remove the suspension and in three days the man went to DMV and obtained a temporary drivers license.
2011: Successfully assisted many clients in applying for fee waivers through USCIS.
2011: Assisted clients in applying for their naturalization & they are now U.S. Citizens.
In 2011, client was charged with misdemeanor petty theft, I obtained a civil compromise & charge was dropped to an infraction, no theft offender classes were required, informal probation and a fine was all that was imposed.
In 2011, I successfully obtained for one of my bankruptcy clients a great HAMP modification on their mortgage. The client had previously been denied twice by his lender and could not have afforded to keep his house without the modification. With my assistance his HAMP modification was approved and it significantly reduced his monthly payment, fixed his interest rate and gave him a principal forgiveness of over $100,000.
In 2011, I successfully represented a US Citizen in obtaining a fiancè visa.
In 2011, I represented a man successfully in his dissolution case, he was granted visitation with his three children and a reduction in his child support obligation when we were able to show mother was in fact earning more thanshe had stated.
***********************************************************
In 2010, I successfully represented a victim of domestic abuse and bigamy in obtaining a restraining order, custody of her children and a marriage annulment.
- In 2010, on a pro bono basis, I successfully represented a Oaxacan birth mother in obtaining the return of her baby. After she unknowingly relinquished her parental rights due to language barriers, intimidation and coercion by a bay area county social worker who then wrongfully placed the baby for adoption. The county initially refused to return the baby to her and told her nothing further could be done. The baby and mother are now reunited.
- In 2010, I helped to clear a man from a $30,000 child support obligation in a mistaken identity case, on a pro bono basis.
Call 831-757-4615
Attorney Magnolia Zarraga will give you an honest evaluation on your legal issue
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- In 2009 I cleared a man from a $55,000 child support obligation in a mistaken identity case on a pro bono basis.
- In 2009, obtained early termination of probation for a juvenile so that he could enroll in the US Army. The Judge stated, the petition I prepared was the best he had seen in his years on the bench in the Juvenile Courts. He asked my permission to copy and disseminate it amongst other attorneys who appeared before him.
- I represented many clients successfully in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and Santa Clara County.
- In 2009, in a civil restraining order case, I was successful in getting the case dismissed after proving that my male client was in fact the victim and not the aggressor.
- I successfully helped to obtain civil restraining orders on behalf of many victims of domestic violence.
- I have assisted many people to understand important legal documents or notices they receive which due to language barriers they do not understand.
Law Office of Magnolia Zarraga
Salinas Immigration Attorney
114 Church St Salinas CA 93901
831-757-4615
Salinas Immigration Attorney
114 Church St Salinas CA 93901
831-757-4615