Hire a Lawyer for Peace of Mind… and to Protect from Sex Maniacs?
One of the questions we received most frequently is “why should we hire an attorney?” If you happened to glance at the front page of the New York Times from March 21st, 2008, we can say, “Well, we will complete your petition and application professionally and correctly, which will keep your anxiety level down, offer you tracking system as well as a sounding board for your issues and we can keep things like what they discussed in that article from happening to you.”
The article discussed how an Immigration Officer Isaac Baichu assigned to the Garden City Office offered to trade sexual favors for a green card. The applicant was a young woman who attended the interview with her husband. They were not represented by an attorney. Three days after the interview, she began receiving calls from the officer demanding that she meet him in private places. In one instance, she was compelled to perform a sexual act because she was so afraid. She did not report the incident to the police immediately because she was afraid she would be placed in deportation because she was not in lawful status. She was persuaded by her family members to reveal her story to the New York Times which broke the story.
Several of our attorneys have attended interviews with this particular officer in charge. At all times, he was professional and prompt. He asked only appropriate questions and NONE of our clients reported any misguided behavior. In fact, I believe that all of the clients interviewed by this officer were approved at the interview or shortly thereafter. In short, we had no cause for complaint against Officer Baichu. None of other clients have ever reported being contacted by an immigration officer for money either, which was also discussed as being a rampant problem amongst adjudication officers.
What was the difference? Our presence. An attorney at the interview cannot answer questions on behalf of the Applicant; however, an attorney can intervene when inappropriate questions are posed. Regular applicants have no idea what to expect at an interview and may not know what is and what is not normal. Attorneys do (or should). When we witness inappropriate behavior or that an officer is misconstruing the law, an attorney can call attention to the issue and perhaps, appeal to a supervisor.
We cannot and do not make any guarantees other than we will perform our job to the best of our ability and make sure that your case is best poised for approval. After seeing the story in the New York Times, we now add we will guarantee that we will use our might to make sure that the Service does not take advantage of you.
When you hire an attorney, you should receive professional services. When you hire us as your attorneys, we’ll throw-in our watchdog function at no extra charge.