WHAT WE DO
Practice Areas
Practice Areas
These applications include but are not limited to Forms I-130, I-140, I-485, I-131, I-765, I-212, I-601, I-601A, I-751, I-821, and I-360. We analyze individual cases thoroughly and thoughtfully and build rock-solid cases through filing, interview, and approval processes. Carolyn specializes in complex cases that require defending against government assessments of ineligibility and inadmissibility.
As USCIS counsel, Carolyn designed and delivered local, regional, and national training to USCIS officers and USCIS attorneys. She helped them properly adjudicate the listed petitions and applications. As DHS Office of General Counsel senior attorney, she served as subject-matter expert in humanitarian benefits such as Temporary Protected Status, deferred action, U nonimmigrant status (victims of certain violent crimes), T nonimmigrant status (victims of severe forms of trafficking), VAWA, Deferred Enforced Departure, and humanitarian parole. She also played a part in the following proposed and finalized regulations: The T final rule, Employment Authorization Document Auto-Extension Temporary Final Rule, VAWA, NPRM, and U NPRM. She has reviewed and revised agency forms: Form I-360 Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant and Form I-131 Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records.
Carolyn knows the regulations, the forms, the policy behind these petitions and applications, and how they are reviewed by USCIS officers. She now leverages her knowledge and experience to help her clients build rock-solid cases.
We assess whether our clients have acquired or derived United States citizenship and we assist our lawful permanent resident clients in obtaining naturalization.
Carolyn uses her years of experience advising USCIS officers on how to adjudicate naturalization and citizenship forms to formulate the right strategy for our clients. She specializes in complex naturalization cases, such as cases with defects in the lawful permanent resident status caused by USCIS.
USCIS approved petitions do not guarantee visa issuance, and the Department of State regulations provide that there is no access to in-person counsel representation at visa interviews. We help our clients prepare visa applications and necessary supporting documentation. We also help them prepare for consular interviews.
In her previous private practice days, Carolyn helped numerous clients obtain visas such as E (treaty investor), K (fiancé(e)), and R (religious worker) and she uses the combination that experience and her government attorney experience to help her client obtain visas.
We represent clients in all aspects of removal proceedings, including bond hearings, master calendar hearings, individual hearings, and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Carolyn draws on her experience litigating non-detained and detained dockets as an INS/ICE government attorney. Her experience gives her an insider perspective of how removal cases are litigated and how to effectively advocate for her clients.
We provide federal immigration ligation services to those who are facing unreasonable delays in adjudication or those who have received arbitrary and capricious or erroneous decisions from the government. As government attorney, Carolyn handled mandamus (unreasonable delay) lawsuits, date-of-birth change litigation, 8 U.S.C. 1447(b) (USCIS’ failure to make determination within 120 days of the naturalization examination), 8 U.S.C. 1421(c) (judicial review of USCIS’ denial of naturalization), Administrative Procedures Act review (review of USCIS’ denial of petitions), and regional and national class action lawsuits challenging USCIS’ programs and policies. In her previous private practice days, Carolyn successfully defended tort claims filed in U.S. district courts. Carolyn now leverages her previous litigation experience to help our clients pursue remedies in United States district courts.
We help our clients defend against denaturalization proceedings (the legal process of revoking previously granted naturalization).
In 2017, DHS initiated Operation Janus. It identified 315,000 cases for denaturalization and referred those cases to Department of Justice for prosecution as civil denaturalization cases in United States district courts. Executive orders and DOJ directives now make denaturalization a key civil enforcement priority. Carolyn was one of four USCIS attorneys who helped create the Affidavit of Good Cause template for Operation Janus, and she assisted in multiple denaturalization cases that were filed around the country. Carolyn provides an insider perspective to help her clients.
Utilizing her 25 years of experience in private practice and at INS/ICE/USCIS/DHS, Carolyn can provide valuable input and assistance to immigration practitioners who are looking to scale up and strengthen their practice areas or those who are navigating unexpected high-volume work. Specifically, Carolyn offers: (a) training for paralegals and support staff; (b) case assessment and strategy sessions; (c) preparation of responses to Request for Evidence, Notice of Intent to Deny, Notice of Intent to Terminate; (c) preparation of appeals to USCIS, AAO, and BIA.