Trust and Transparency: Immigration Advocacy Beyond and Within Borders

Kyle McEntee:

We're joined today by Jennifer Quezada, partner at Airington Law, a multilingual all-woman law firm in Richmond, Virginia, who practices immigration law. So you've been at Airington Law for just over five years now, but practicing in the U.S. wasn't always your plan. Can you tell us about where you initially saw your career headed?

Jennifer Quezada:

That's right. I started law school in Dominican Republic, and when I was there, my plan was to become a judge. So just to give you an idea, in D.R., you just go straight from high school to the career of choice. I just didn't finish law school there.

Kyle McEntee:

So what brought you to the U.S. then?

Jennifer Quezada:

There were some societal issues happening in Dominican Republic. I went to law school at night because our professors were actual practicing judges and attorneys. And so my classes typically ended around midnight. That's when I was heading home. And for whatever reason, there was a period of time that femicides were really high in the country. And there was a situation where an officer tried to pull me over. It was an unlit part of town, and I knew better not to stop. And so that, the societal issues, coupled with the fact that because I wanted to be a judge, what I was seeing in terms of the corruption didn't seem like my dreams were going to be able to be fulfilled in the way that I wanted to. And so I made the decision to come to the U.S. at that point after completing about a year and a half of law school in D.R.

Kyle McEntee:

So it must have been really hard for you to leave after just a year of education and start over in the U.S., especially given becoming a lawyer in the U.S. takes seven years and not just four years. Can you talk a little bit about how you navigated those emotions when you came over?

Jennifer Quezada:

It was very difficult. I honestly just put my nose to the ground. I wanted to make sure that I didn't skip a beat in terms of my education. I just had to compartmentalize what I wanted and then slowly process those emotions. I can tell you that years after, I was still sort of processing that because I had to see my friends graduate, you know, when I thought that I would be graduating with them.

Kyle McEntee:

And also, English is not your first language. And this is your first time, even though you spoke English, your first time actually being educated in English. What kind of level of challenge did that add?

Jennifer Quezada:

My ear wasn't trained to understand college-level English, even though I was very comfortable speaking and understanding English. So I just had to dedicate a lot more time to it.

Kyle McEntee:

So broadly speaking, your immigration practice now is about helping people gain legal status or the next level of legal status in the U.S. Now I want to dig a little bit deeper into that. What specifically do you help your clients with?

Jennifer Quezada:

My practice focuses on humanitarian-based immigration law, as well as family law. So on the humanitarian side, I help people who have been victims of crimes in the U.S., who have been victims of human trafficking, whether the trafficking happened as they were coming to the U.S. or already here. And on the family side, it includes helping U.S. citizens or what is commonly known as green card holders bring their family members from overseas or helping the family members who are here gain their status and sort of help them through the journey of ultimately what will allow them to become citizens in the U.S.

Kyle McEntee:

So how do you find these clients? We have a few different marketing resources that we use. We partner with local government agencies and offer free legal clinics. Typically, those individuals already have some sort of relationship established with the local government agency in question. For those folks, we offer free consults. And then we also have other marketing channels. We participate in radio shows that are just Spanish speaking so that we can reach that audience. And we also do YouTube marketing. We participate pretty much in every event, every local event that we can find that specifically is for the Hispanic community, just because there's a lot of misinformation. We want to make sure that we're bringing correct information and that we're a local available resource for them.

Kyle McEntee:

How are you figuring out what kind of misinformation is out there? Is this just like over time dealing with new clients coming in and then just saying things that are incorrect?

Jennifer Quezada:

Yes. That's one piece of it. A lot of the folks that we get in consults or who just stop by at the events, they tell us, hey, this person told me, for example, not to go to immigration court because it's going to be worse for me when that is absolutely the reverse of what they want to be doing. And also just seeing online, unfortunately, there's a lot of predatory marketing for the Hispanic communities.

There are individuals who sell themselves as notarios, which are individuals who are not licensed to practice law, and yet they do. And they attract people by offering lower legal fees. But typically, what we handle a lot are complex immigration cases where a lot of those notarios have literally just made up things and filed a petition that was incorrect. And then the person who gets left to deal with that mess is the client who didn't know any better, unfortunately.

Kyle McEntee:

And I guess you to unwind any of the damage that they've done.

Jennifer Quezada:

Right.

Kyle McEntee:

One of the other marketing tactics that you use is fee transparency. Can you explain a little bit about how your fees work?

Jennifer Quezada:

From the moment that they start the case with us, we want them to know exactly what to expect. We use flat fees for all of our cases. And what that means is that after our initial consult, we inform them what the cost of the case will be from beginning to end. And we include all of the government fees that we know will be involved with the filing. And that way, the client knows from the get-go how much they have to save or how much money they'll need to have the case with us. Immigration, specifically, is already so stressful.

You would not imagine how stressful it is for a client to even come in and trust us as attorneys to speak about their journey because there's also a lot of misinformation about an attorney reporting them to ICE.

Kyle McEntee:

And I have to imagine that your background as someone who came here as an immigrant, that has to help building that trust. What do those conversations look like as you're trying to gain someone's trust?

Jennifer Quezada:

One thing that was very prevalent when I went to law school was legalese terms and those big words that attorneys sometimes like to use to show off. I just get at their same level. You know, I don't see myself as being better than anyone else. I just treat it as a conversation. Even our setup at the firm, the client is not across the desk from us. We have it set up as a living room to create a more welcoming space. And we offer them coffee and talk about their journey.

And I just tell them, everything you tell me is not going to come out of here. So take me from the moment that you left your home country until you got here. Tell me what that looked like. And typically, that helps them feel really welcomed. If it's someone who is, I can tell, is struggling a little bit more, I will just drop hints that I wasn't born here.

Even though it's, you know, the conversation happens in their native language, in Spanish, I still let them know that I can sympathize with the stress that they're going through. I might say, you know, my aunts have been here for over 20 years, and they were able to pass the citizenship test, even though they don't speak perfect English. Or, you know, I had to help my parents translate, you know, with the immigration officer. So I know how stressful those conversations can be for a child, if I'm speaking to a child. And so I just try to relate with my sort of offering a little bit of myself.

Kyle McEntee:

So my first thought was, well, if they're coming in, at least that's like some level of trust they have to even show up. But since a lot of the people you're helping are the family members of people who are paying you, that's not always present.

Jennifer Quezada:

Right, right. Yes.

Kyle McEntee:

So another intentional, arguably very customer-centric aspect of your firm is something you just mentioned, which is that everyone actually speaks Spanish. How do you see that impacting your client interactions?

Jennifer Quezada:

It's feedback that we get from the moment that we sit down for the consult. It's always a point of conversation that they mention, “we are so thankful that everyone can speak Spanish.” The moment that Luisa or Alessia, who are staff members, picked up the phone and they spoke to me in Spanish, I immediately felt comfortable. And so that's typically what they tell us.

And frankly, I can understand it. I now as an adult, I can really appreciate how hard it must have been for my mom, who doesn't speak any English, having to depend on my sister and I when we would travel to the U.S. to translate what the CBP officer was asking her. And those conversations, even if there's nothing to fear, they're so stressful. So I can now really appreciate how much weight comes off your shoulders when you can just communicate with someone in your native language.

Kyle McEntee:

There are those phone answering services that are like, press one for English, press two for Spanish. But if you're immediately confronted with the question in Spanish instead of in English, that's a little jarring and hopefully transplants them to somewhere safe.

Jennifer Quezada:

Absolutely. And having used interpretation services in court is really difficult to really convey emotions and convey what it is that you're trying to say, because oftentimes those people are not, they might not be able to translate the intentionality behind the speech. And there's a lot that is embedded in the way that someone speaks that says a whole lot without them having to actually say any words just by the way that they're communicating.

And so I think that that is really helpful for them and for us as well to be able to ask additional questions. I mean, if I see a client reacting or changing their tone, just because I know the culture, I know that I should ask additional questions or I should thread lightly in the way that I ask a question because it's a sensitive subject.

Kyle McEntee:

All right, so let's talk a little bit more in detail about these interactions. You have a new potential client who's coming in. Let's say that they're trying to bring their mother and father from their native country. They already have their legal status here, established this trust with you, and they're getting ready to sign. First of all, who is the client?

Jennifer Quezada:

So the client would be the petitioner who would be either the U.S. citizen or the lawful permanent resident. It is in a way dual representation because we also represent the interests of the beneficiary, which would be, let's say, the parent who's overseas. The person who signs the contract though is the petitioner because if the petitioner doesn't want to move forward with the petition, then we have to withdraw as the attorney.

In terms of what it looks like, we provide them with a contract to read before they sign off. If they need a payment plan, we also provide that to them so they can review it before fully signing on. Then I go over what to expect in the next phase of the process once they've signed on to us.

Kyle McEntee:

This kind of work is extremely document intensive. How do you stay organized with that and how do you keep the clients organized, both from the identifying what the documents are to actually getting them in the order you need in a timely fashion?

Jennifer Quezada:

We try to be a completely paperless firm. I would say that we are. We scan pretty much all the documents into our database. We use Dropbox. Everything that we give to the client, we just keep a copy of it. That also helps to build trust. A lot of people don't get a copy of their contracts when they sign on with someone. We also use a case management system where we document pretty much everything.

Usually, we communicate via email or text message. We record our calls as well. If it's from the staff members who are in charge of communicating with clients, we make sure that those calls are recorded and documented. If there are any questions about what was said or for training purposes, we want to make sure that we know what information is being given to the client and what the client is actually telling us as well.

Kyle McEntee:

You've now mentioned staff a few times. Can you talk a little bit about how the firm is organized? We'll get back into the details in a bit. I think it's worth pointing out at this point, who is actually there helping you?

Jennifer Quezada:

We divide them into pods. We kind of want to have a very clear path for the client to know who they're working with at what stage. We have our onboarding team. There's two individuals working for onboarding. Once the client signs on, they are the first line of contact. It's an introductory call where they gather all the documents. We also have the paralegal pod. They are the ones who directly assist me and the owner of the firm to put together the cases. We also have the intake team. They are the ones who handle the pre-sign-on communication. They're the ones who schedule the consults. They're the ones who follow up with prospective clients. In addition to that, we have client coordinators. It's a designated position to give updates to clients. We also have a director of operations who helps with managing all the entirety of the staff.

Kyle McEntee:

It's pretty interesting because I think a lot of smaller firms, people think of them as very lawyer-focused. It sounds like you are way out-represented at your firm by people who are in non-lawyer positions, but that the firm also could not possibly do as good a job it does without them.

Jennifer Quezada:

Absolutely. That's something that we explain to the clients. We, one, want to recognize the importance of those positions, not just for purposes of internal motivation for the staff, but also so that the client understands that we work as a team. We're very team-centric. We are very clear that we could not operate on our own as attorneys. We would go insane if we had that mindset.

It really helps the client build a relationship with everyone in the firm and understand that if someone from our firm is telling them something, it's because they have the authority to do so. We explain from the outset, no legal questions will be answered by a non-attorney. If you're receiving an answer, it's because that was cleared with myself or the owner of the firm. Just know that you can trust everyone. It's not like you can get different takes about your case if you get different people on the phone.

Kyle McEntee:

All right, let's dig a little bit into the substance. So, you've got this client. They have legal status already. They're trying to get legal status, in this example, for their parents. What is your role once you have the necessary documentation? Are you putting it together in an application? Are you filing it in court?

Jennifer Quezada:

In that scenario, we would be filing it with an agency known as USCIS. They are the adjudicators of immigration petitions that are affirmative immigration petitions, meaning that you're not fighting against deportation. So, in that scenario, we would put together the packet.

Typically, it consists of a number of different forms. We put together the legal argument, how do they qualify?, send that out to USCIS, and then we monitor the case. In that scenario, it'll take approximately a total of two years, and once that petition is approved, then we have to shift to a communication with the Department of State in order to make sure that we can coordinate an interview.

We prepare the parent who is overseas for the interview. So, we go over with them what to expect. We prepare a PDF binder for them so that they'll have the documents that they'll need to refer to once they are at the interview. We basically walk them through as though we were the interviewer for the U.S. embassy and go through with them the types of questions that they would ask them so that they don't feel like it's such a foreign experience once they walk into that interview room because they'll have to do it alone. Unfortunately, we're typically not allowed to participate. It's very nerve-wracking for someone to have to do it by themselves. Basically, we try to make it as easy for them as possible.

Kyle McEntee:

So, where's the accountability? I mean, I feel like part of the reason it's important to have a lawyer in the room is that you have an advocate there who knows what the right process is, knows when that process is being ignored or abused, and here that's not what's happening. So, where does accountability come into this if something doesn't go as planned for the client's parent?

Jennifer Quezada:

In that scenario, the nice thing is that a decision has to be issued in writing. If the decision doesn't include a justified legal basis, then we are able to appeal to the administrative appeals board, basically. So, in that sense, that's where the accountability is.

For tourist visas, for example, there is none. An interviewer can just say you're denied for discretionary purposes. It can literally be anything, and there's really no way to appeal that, unfortunately.

Kyle McEntee:

So, you're thinking like a partner now because you just made partner about 10 months ago, with just under six years of experience. Partner is definitely one of those terms that means something different in different contexts, even within the legal profession. So, what exactly does partner mean at Airington? Do you have an equity stake?

Jennifer Quezada:

I don't. No, I'm a non-equity partner, but I have a say in terms of decision making. So, in our firm, we have what we call the leadership team, which is basically the owner, myself, and the director of operations, and we join our brains together to make decisions about the firm.

So, for me, in terms of my position as a partner, my role is to supervise the paralegals, train them, and ensure that the legal work meets the standards that we have set for the firm. And I also assist in managing overall the entirety of the staff for the firm,. I also assist with client consultations, representing the firm in different events. There's definitely sort of all hands on deck, if you will, even though I don't have necessarily an ownership in the firm.

Kyle McEntee:

So, what did the conversation look like leading up to your partnership?

Jennifer Quezada:

It was, I think it was just very natural, quite frankly. You know, the owner of the firm, honestly, she is really great. She's never put any parameters in the things that I can do or can't do. From talking to some of my friends who are also attorneys, there seems to be a lot of rigidity in terms of what they're allowed to do. For example, I was never forbidden from speaking to a client or communicating with a client or, you know, taking on a case. The owner of the firm was always making sure that I had the mentorship that I needed and the support that I needed, and it just evolved naturally, quite frankly. I'm someone who likes having responsibility, and it's sort of just, as I gain more experience, it just was something that evolved with my skills.

Kyle McEntee:

And to a certain extent, you really can't evolve without that title, if you're going to be out in the community talking on behalf of your firm.

Jennifer Quezada:

Right.

Kyle McEntee:

In your leadership position, obviously you're now involved in strategic decisions about where to take the firm. And in the intro, I described your firm as multilingual. Well, we've only talked about Spanish so far. I mean, I guess we've talked about English a little bit, but that's not what I meant by multilingual. Can you tell me a little bit about that direction and why you're going that way?

Jennifer Quezada:

Well, I started learning Portuguese in July of this year, the reason being because we have a big Brazilian population here in Richmond, Virginia. And what we've discovered with the clients we have helped so far is that it's a very insular community. And so they will only seek out resources within their own community.

And unfortunately, we found that a lot of people take advantage of that. And so in terms of misinformation, there's a lot of it. And unfortunately, we've had a lot of human trafficking cases that come out of that community. And so there was an impetus from us to make sure that we were serving the immigrant population to the extent that we can. Because of that, we decided I was going to learn Portuguese. I've always loved languages.

The director of operations is also learning Portuguese. And it's something that I love. I am really excited about it. I have some background in terms of French. When I was in law school in DR, I had to learn French. Unfortunately, I've forgotten that, but that's sort of coming soon. Hopefully, after I feel comfortable with Portuguese, that will be the next one.

Kyle McEntee:

I mean, I think your intentions here are crystal clear to me, right? But you mentioned that the local Brazilian population is fearful of basically interlopers, people who are going to take advantage. Why do you think they're not going to fear you as a interloper, as someone who is not Brazilian, who doesn't speak Portuguese natively?

Jennifer Quezada:

Many of them speak some Spanish. So I think the shared cultural background is there. It's obviously not the same at all. But I can tell you that with the very limited Portuguese knowledge that I have right now, I was able to communicate with a client about a month ago. They hired us.

It was pretty funny because they were in the receiving area. Another client that I had who is also Portuguese and who I had already represented, she was in the waiting room. I didn't know that the prospective clients were Brazilian, but I very excitedly told my client, I was like, hey, I'm learning Portuguese. We should practice some time. She was very excited from the get-go that immediately encouraged them to see that I was so interested in learning their language.

And they felt like I was allowing them to communicate in Portuguese during the consult. So there was someone who spoke English as well. It was helping with the translation. But what I find is that whenever I don't speak the client's language, they almost feel really bashful and just honestly ashamed that they have to use their native language. And I told them, “just you communicate however you want to communicate and I will get the update. Don't worry about me. This is about you.” And so I think from the get-go that established trust, then I do think that it will help.

I mean, I can tell you from my own experience, whenever someone tried to speak in Spanish to my parents, that was a gesture that showed us that they were truly trying to help and that there's no, there's not a difference in terms of position like, oh, I'm better than you. We're on equal playing fields. So let's figure out how to properly communicate.

And so I don't think that that will be an issue. I really do think that the immigrant community just values when you recognize them. And I think that even if I don't speak it very well, I'm sure that it'll be okay.