With all the fear and negativity surrounding immigration these days, we wanted to take a moment to pause and share some bright spots—real wins our clients have had over the past few months. Even in today’s unpredictable immigration climate, people are still achieving their dreams, and that deserves to be celebrated. Even in a system that often feels broken, progress is still happening. It’s not always fast or easy, but these stories remind us why we keep doing the work.
A Long Road to Citizenship
Back in August 2020, we filed a naturalization application for Julie.* We knew it would be a tough case—she had a 1992 conviction for possessing counterfeit money. However, Julie had been a green card holder since 1970, and as the Trump administration neared its end, she felt it was time to stop living in limbo and finally become a U.S. citizen.
She had her interview in early 2022, and it went well, but no decision came. The officer said background checks were needed, and then…silence. We waited through the entire Biden administration. No request for more documents—no updates at all. Just a long, uncertain wait.
Then, earlier this month, completely out of the blue, Julie’s case was approved! After nearly five years of waiting, she is finally becoming a U.S. citizen. A win worth celebrating.
A Marriage-Based Green Card Six Years in the Making
In spring 2019, we filed a marriage-based green card application for Lawrence,* a U.S. citizen, and his wife, Antonia.* Their case was straightforward—just a couple in their 60s, happily married with no criminal issues. Their first interview in 2020 was smooth—but, like Julie’s case, no decision.
A year later, they were called in for a second interview, this time separated and asked matching questions. They were consistent, honest, and the interview went fine. Still, no decision.
We followed up with USCIS, contacted Senator Warnock’s office, and even threatened litigation—nothing worked. Then, suddenly, we received an approval notice on their I-130 and a request for a new medical exam for Antonia. Once that’s submitted, she should finally get her green card. Six years later, we’re nearly there.
Abused Spouse to US Citizen
Earlier this year, we were referred a client named Kasia.* She had received her conditional green card through her U.S. citizen husband, and they had filed to remove conditions together. They’d even filed for naturalization based on their marriage.
But the relationship had turned emotionally abusive—her husband was controlling and manipulative. When Kasia received interview notices for both cases, she knew she couldn’t go through the process with him by her side. She came to us for help.
We quickly updated USCIS and converted her I-751 to a waiver based on abuse. This allowed Kasia to move forward without finalizing a divorce—something that could take years—and still qualify for naturalization under the three-year rule. Last month, we went with her to the interview. Everything went as smoothly as we hoped, and Kasia is now a U.S. citizen.
U Bona Fide Determination Litigation
Over the past few years, we’ve been filing lawsuits against USCIS to compel them to issue U visa bona fide determinations (BFDs) and work permits, cutting down wait times from five years to just a few months for over one hundred clients.
In March, we filed another suit. I’ll admit—I was nervous. It was our first BFD case under the current administration, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But by mid-May, four of the ten plaintiffs had already received approvals and protection from removal. We’re hopeful that more will follow soon.
* All names and identifying information have been changed.