It has been a rough couple of weeks, I won’t lie. The calls started immediately after the election results were in. There were potential clients saying that they’re worried that they or their loved ones will be deported because Donald Trump won the election; and there were calls from current clients wondering if their cases were safe, if their cases would be decided before January 20th when the new administration is sworn in, if we could file their cases before he becomes President. We do our best to calm fears – but it’s been hard to know exactly what to say because there’s so little we know.
Wanting to regain some control, I stopped and focused on what I do know. It comes down to three things: That no matter the challenge, I love what I do; that I have the best team working with me; and that we will fight for our clients, no matter the administration and challenges.
1) I know that I am blessed to work in a field that I am passionate about. I get to help transform lives every single day. People trust us with their most precious possessions – their loved ones. We work with newlyweds, families with young children, adult children filing for their parents. We are also able to work with individuals who are seeking independence in the United States, fleeing from domestic violence or human trafficking. Being part of these lives and these stories is an incredible responsibility and incredible joy.
2) I am grateful to do this work with incredible staff by my side. Alina and Pepper are more than staff – they form the Klinke Immigration family. Alina is the warm, friendly voice who greets you on the phone (if she’s not busy translating for me in a consultation!) and the smile that you see when you walk in the door. She’s also the only one in the office who has lived the immigrant experience. Yes, I have family who has gone through it, but I can never understand exactly what our clients go through the way she can.
Pepper is the newest member of our family, though she’s been with us for a year. Though she may be quiet, she has an intense fire inside of her, wanting to push cases forward, wanting to push the law forward on behalf of our clients. She is brilliant, eloquent, and compassionate. I really do believe that I have the right team in place at the right time.
3) As I said in my earlier post, there’s not much that we know about Trump’s immigration policy. What’s starting to take shape, though, is cause for concern. Jeff Sessions and Kris Kobach aren’t names I’m happy to hear as the transition takes place. Regardless, I know that immigration policies will change. I know that our fights will likely become more focused on removal than on gaining a benefit. But I also know that we have rights, we have due process, that I am an officer of the court and I will always fight for our laws to be upheld fairly and equally for all.
Every day, but especially right now, I know that I am thankful for clients who trust us, our amazing staff, and I am more grateful than ever for being able to fight for what is right. I know it’s hard to think about what we’re thankful for when times seem uncertain, but that’s when it’s most important to focus on the light. Otherwise, the darkness overwhelms us.
-Tracie