Immigration Ain't Easy

Send us Fan Mail Andrew Fels and Natalie Cadwalader-Schultheis are human rights attorneys who bring a voice to the voiceless. Through litigation and research they are exposing the U.S. government's violations of international law and unlawful use of inhumane policies that force migrants into situations where they disappear and/or die.  Natalie and Andrew join me to discuss how this occurs und...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine being separated from family in your native country for 30 years. No ability to visit them and return to the U.S. Samantha “Sam” Ramirez-Herrera lived this and finally got the opportunity to visit her native land and family thanks to a special travel permit called "advance parole". As a filmmaker, the DACA recipient and immigration rights advocate documented the t...

Send us Fan Mail At a time where disinformation runs rampant throughout the United States, David Bier is a source of the truth when it comes to the immigration system. He provides a wealth of data through his research and his publications have been widely cited to. David is the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute and has testified before House and Senate committees. If you think...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of 2 of my interview with Carlos Pérez David.  Carlos created one of the world's most iconic logos: the Apple logo. As an immigrant from Mexico, Carlos has also become a recognized Chicano artist who has been influenced by artists of the Mexican, Chicano and Indigenous art movements. He is a community activist and this is represented through his artistic process. Carlo...

Send us Fan Mail You may not know Carlos Pérez David, but you definitely have seen the fruits of his labor. In 1977, while working for marketing firm Regis McKenna, Carlos created one of the world's most iconic logos: the Apple logo. As an immigrant from Mexico, Carlos has also become a recognized Chicano artist who has been influenced by artists of the Mexican, Chicano and Indigenous art mov...

Send us Fan Mail Sidney "Sevek" Finkel refused to die in the Holocaust and he refuses to let his story of survival and the terrors of the genocide disappear. He authored a memoir "The Boy Who Refused to Die" and has told his story to thousands, including over 300 different schools. His daughter, Ruth Finkel Wade, has also made certain that his story is never forgotten. She publ...

Send us Fan Mail Zayed (aka "theZlawyer") learned about the complexities in our immigration system as a child when he helped his father attempt to naturalize and become a U.S. citizen. As an adult, that dream was finally realized by his father with Zayed as his lawyer. Zayed is now a lawyer based in Phoenix and part of his law practice focuses on immigration matters. As a Palestinian, he...

Send us Fan Mail Francisco Romero has been a significant part of the generational change we have seen in Spanish radio sports broadcasting.  Growing up in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and speaking very little English, he never envisioned that his life's journey would take him from our neighboring country to now calling play-by-play for the Houston Astros. His ascent in the sports media industry h...

Send us Fan Mail Ana Valenzuela wanted to solve a big problem. She completed high school and struggled to afford higher education due to her undocumented status. Attending Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona she realized that this issue impacted dozens of other students. With limited resources available and undaunted by this problem, Ana co-founded  ScholarshipsA-Z, an organization that work...

Send us Fan Mail Juan Escalante personifies "self-preservation." He has had to overcome many obstacles throughout his life and he has persevered, primarily due to his own advocacy. Juan came to the United States from Venezuela with his family following the election of Hugo Chavez. Unfortunately, poor legal advice by an attorney left his family without legal status in the U.S. and Juan&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Neena Dutta is a Jill of all trades. She is an immigrant from the United Kingdom who found herself on a F-1 student visa going to college in the middle of nowhere, U.S.A. This began a journey where she attended law school, became an immigration lawyer, got her green card and U.S. citizenship, invested in a successful bar and now is a CEO of a construction company. Who said immigra...

Send us Fan Mail Immigration Attorney Steven Brown loves the work he does. This motivates him to zealously advocate on behalf of his clientele, which consists of primarily employers, investors and individuals seeking employment-based immigration opportunities. Steven grew up in Virginia and became enamored with Texas where he has settled down and helps direct a successful multi-dimensional immigra...

Send us Fan Mail Chef Nicolás Lopez's name has become synonymous with top Spanish cuisine. He oversees all culinary operations at Mercado Little Spain, a 35,000 sq ft Spanish food hall (with three full-service restaurants, bars, numerous other food and retail kiosks) in New York City. He is a protégé of Chef José Andrés and works with the world renowned restauranteur. Chef Nico was also instr...

Send us Fan Mail When they went to law school, Jodi Goodwin and Chuck Kuck didn't realize their destinies and life's work would be helping immigrants and becoming two of the top lawyers in this complicated field of law. They join me to discuss their journey to becoming immigration lawyers, what motivates them to keep fighting the good fight, some of the ridiculous things they've wit...

Send us Fan Mail Ahmad Wakili was a judge in Afghanistan who sentenced Taliban members at Bagram Air Base.  He fled for his life after the withdrawal of the United States military in August 2021. Fortunate enough to get on a plane, he sought refuge in the United States but faced a lengthy separation from his wife and newborn daughter. Did they finally reunite? Did Ahmad get asylum?  What about the...

Send us Fan Mail Jenn Budd went from high-ranking Border Patrol Agent to immigrant rights activist. Her odyssey didn’t come without life-altering experiences including the survival of horrific hazing, sexual harassment and a sexual assault while serving in the Border Patrol. This episode delves into Jenn’s survival from mental health struggles that stemmed primarily from her several years in the B...

Send us Fan Mail Cynthia Magallanes is a survivor. Plain and simple. She was brought into the U.S. as a four-year-old. Cynthia went from being an undocumented child to gaining DACA status and then her green card and, ultimately, U.S. citizenship. She became a naturalized citizen on June 14, 2024. Cynthia uses her own experience with childhood sexual abuse to help empower other women and children w...

Send us Fan Mail Simba Rusita grew up in Burundi and survived numerous coup d'états. After receiving a his bachelor degree from The University of London South Bank University, he went back to Burundi to try and help to economically develop his native land. However, after the last coup attempt, he finally fled for his life and came to the United States for refuge. He is separated from his fami...

Send us Fan Mail Sgt. Talib Abdoulaye came to the U.S. as a refugee from Chad when he was 12 years old. Over a decade later, as a Sargent in the U.S. Army, he returned to adopt his five half-siblings (all minors) after the untimely passing of his mother during childbirth. Bringing them to the U.S. was complicated and, thankfully, a pro bono lawyer named Beth Boyer came to the rescue! All 5 childre...

Send us Fan Mail Erick Lastarria is an immigrant from Lima, Peru who arrived in the U.S. in September 1997 at 18 years old. After a long journey, he is getting close to finally achieving his American dream. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Richard Hartwell.