Asylum & Refugee Law Firms

Sujin Kim, Esq., founded Gulf Coast Immigration to meet the growing need for comprehensive and sophisticated services in all aspects of immigration, including legal services, in the southern Gulf Coast region, in particular Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Ms. Kim’s practice includes guidance, advice, counsel and representation for businesses and individuals in matters of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas with a subspecialty focusing on the U.S. Immigration Investor Program (EB-5 Program). She has represented U.S. and international clients, including institutional, business and individual clients pertaining to both employment-based and family-based visas before the U.S. Citizenship. She earned her BBA in International Business from The George Washington University in 1998 and was awarded her JD from the University of Maryland in 2008, with a Health Law Certificate from the Law and Health Care Program. She is a member of the American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Alabama State Bar Association, and Mobile Bar Association. Ms Kim was born and raised in Korea. Her personal experience as an immigrant, in addition to her legal and business background, gives her a unique and practical perspective that allows her to provide services with a sense of resourcefulness and with compassion for her clients. She has been able to provide a vast array of legal and non-legal services to clients and communities due to her understanding of both the Korea and U.S. business environments and cultures, She is fluent in English and Korean.

Ms. Hirota began her law practice in Ohio as an associate with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a large law firm in Cincinnati. After practicing immigration law in Ohio for two years, Ms. Hirota returned to her family in Hawaii and joined Lynch & Farmer in 1997. She was named a partner of Lynch Ichida Thompson Kim & Hirota in 2002 and left that firm to found Hirota & Associates in 2009. Ms. Hirota’s practice concentrates solely in U.S. Immigration and Nationality law. Ms. Hirota is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, having served on the following committees: Hawaii Chapter Chair, 2012 – 2014; Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2011-2012; Hawaii Chapter Congressional Liaison; National EOIR Liaison Committee, 2007-2008; National Mentor, Honolulu District Office practice, 2003-present; USCIS California Service Center Liaison Committee, 2005-2007; National Immigration Reform Committee, 2005-2006; Hawaii Chapter Chair, 2003-2005; Hawaii Chapter Vice Chair, 2001-2003; Hawaii Chapter Secretary, 2000-2001. Ms. Hirota served the American Immigration Council (formerly American Immigration Law Foundation) on its Legal Action Center Advisory Committee from 2007-2010. She is a lifetime member of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii; a director of the charitable foundation, Dr. Arthur & Bonnie Ennis Foundation, 2004-present; Hawaii Pacific University, Career Services Advisory Council, 2006-2008; and is a member of Hawaii Women Lawyers. Ms. Hirota has been chosen by her peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America each year since 2008 in the field of Immigration Law. She was named the Best Lawyers’ 2018 & 2015 Honolulu Immigration Law “Lawyer of the Year.”

Mr. Carpenter is the Managing Attorney of the Salt Lake City office of Wilner & O’Reilly. He is admitted to the Utah State Bar and the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Proficient in all areas of immigration law, Mr. Carpenter currently focuses on family-based immigration, employment-based, as well as U-Visas, 601 waivers, and investment-based immigration cases. Mr. Carpenter previously worked at the immigration firm of Thomas and Jefferies, PLLC in Phoenix, Arizona, and worked for the Executive Office for Immigration Review in Eloy and Phoenix, Arizona. He has authored multiple articles on immigration issues and regularly engages in pro bono immigration work for indigent clients. Mr. Carpenter previously received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Spanish Translation. He attended the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, where he was a member of the Law Journal and served as an associate editor. He is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Intermountain Relocation Council, a non-profit organization assisting businesses with all aspects of relocating employees to and from the United States. Mr. Carpenter resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and two children.

Sufen Hilf (Li) is a highly respected immigration attorney, with extensive experience in the areas of: business immigration; family immigration; naturalization; asylum applications and removal (deportation) proceedings. She is an active member of the Michigan chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan, Federal District Court, and Immigration Court. As a former native of mainland China, she fluently speaks mandarin Chinese. “I am especially sensitive to the needs of my clients, because I immigrated to the country in 1988, and "became a United States citizen in 2000". I take pride in every case. My success is reflected in the number of referrals I receive from former clients, and other attorneys”.

Mr. Reilly brings a wealth experience to our immigration clients throughout the United States and around the world. He is focused on start-up companies, entrepreneurs, and highly qualified individuals eligible for self-sponsorship under EB-1 and EB-2 NIW immigrant categories. Our services cover nonimmigrant work visas: O-1, L-1, TN, E-1, E-2, H-1, E-3; immigrant visas: EB-1, EB-2, NIW, EB-3, PERM, EB-5 Investor immigrant visas. We also complex family-based immigration and waivers of inadmissibility. With a focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, we offer free phone consultations and reasonable flat fee rates for most services. Mr. Reilly is admitted to practice law in North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. He can assist in corporate and business matters related to immgration with a focus on getting the desired outcome for visa or permenant residence.

I am an Oklahoma City immigration attorney with over 30 years of experience assisting individuals and families with complex immigration matters. My practice is centered on: - Family-Based Immigration: Helping families reunite through green cards, visa petitions, and citizenship applications. - Deportation Defense: Representing clients facing removal proceedings in immigration court. - Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS): Supporting vulnerable children seeking legal protection. - Criminal Immigration Consequences: Addressing immigration issues connected to criminal charges. I earned my Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1992. During my time there, I was a member of the American Indian Law Review and received the American Jurisprudence Award for Advanced Legal Research. My legal career has included extensive trial experience, with numerous jury trials and countless bench trials in both state and federal courts across Oklahoma. I am an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Federal Bar Association, the Oklahoma County Bar Association, and the Oklahoma Bar Association. I am admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Oklahoma, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. Throughout my life, I have been honored with several recognitions, including being an Eagle Scout, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, and a nominee for Associate District Judge by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission in 2003.

Barry L. Frager, owner of the Frager Law Firm, has been practicing immigration law since 1990 and has previously served as a trial attorney for the Legacy INS in Los Angeles, California through the Honors Law Graduate Program of the US Department of Justice. From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Frager served as the national chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section. For his service, he received recognition in September 2007 with the Outstanding Section Chair award by the FBA. Mr. Frager has successfully planned CLEs for the FBA to offer training to other lawyers in the immigration law field for more than 10 years. Mr. Frager has handled thousands of matters not only in the Mid-South, but in Immigration courts and USCIS offices across the United States. He returned to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee to establish his immigration law firm there in 1994. In 2003, he opened a second office in Nashville, Tennessee which was expanded in 2007. The Frager Law Firm assists clients and other lawyers in certain criminal matters due to the important immigration consequences that certain criminal convictions may have on an individual’s ability to remain in the United States. Our Memphis Law Office is located in the same building as USCIS & the Memphis Immigration Court. Our immigration attorneys handle family immigration matters, such as marriage petitions and immediate family members sponsoring other immediate relatives. We also represent people who appear before an immigration judge in removal or deportation proceedings when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has determined that an individual(s) should be removed or deported from the United States. In proceedings before an immigration judge, an individual has a right to retain legal counsel at his or her own expense (so long as it is not at the expense of the U.S. government). Please call us for a free consultation.

Gunda J. Brost is a U.S. immigration attorney ("lawyer") from Oldenburg, North Germany. Ms. Brost holds a J.D. from Hamline Mitchell University School of Law (2006) and holds a license to practice law in Iowa (2007). Ms. Brost has represented clients from all over the world in various different immigration-related matters and has a special interest in asylum law, waivers and getting complex cases unstuck. Ms. Brost is fluent in French, German and Spanish.

I became an immigration attorney to help preserve this country's legacy as a land of opportunity and freedom. With my hard work, perseverance, and a strong advocate by their side, my clients were able to achieve the American Dream.

Attorney Micol Mion is the founder of Immigration Solutions LLC. She holds a B.A., M.S., J.D. M.A., LLM, M.A. degrees from Harvard University, Brandeis University, Boston University School of Law, Northeastern University and City University of New York. Micol was educated in five different countries—Italy, Switzerland, England, Mexico and the U.S.-- from the age of 13. A native of Italy, Micol is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and has working proficiency in French. She became an active participant in social services from a young age. She volunteered to help individuals in need. As an adult she pursued a Master in Science in Criminology to help immigrant communities fend against crimes and rehabilitative teenage gang members. Seeing how immigrants were often victimized but often reluctant to report crimes due to their illegal status in the county, Micol decided to pursue a law degree and engage in the practice of immigration law.

Mr. Gonzales has practiced law for over twenty-seven years and his practice is exclusively limited to immigration law. Mr. Gonzales is a member of the Oregon State Bar, Washington State Bar, American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Oregon Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Mr. Gonzales is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and he holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Mr. Gonzales has handled hundreds of cases before the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) section, formerly known as the "INS", of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Gonzales has handled many cases before Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE) section, formerly part of the "INS", of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Gonzales has handled many immigration trials before the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), and he has handled immigration appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), and before the Federal Courts of Appeal. Mr. Gonzales has extensive trial experience having handled trials involving both state and federal courts. Mr. Gonzales has handled hundreds of cases and has legalized hundreds of people before the various U.S. Consulates throughout the world. Mr. Gonzales has also gotten hundreds of visas for individuals before the U.S. Consulates and the US CIS. Mr. Gonzales handles family immigration cases, deportation and removal cases, immigration bond cases, visas for families and businesses, and waiver cases for Immigration benefits.

Attorney Yvonne Franco Perez earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho College of Law with an emphasis in enterprise organization. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Political Science, with a minor in Spanish and a Masters of Public Administration from Idaho State University. Attorney Franco is passionate about serving the community. Prior to law school, she served with AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty and help those in disadvantaged circumstances. There she dedicated her time to creating a sustainable KinCare Program for relatives raising relative children. Prior to AmeriCorps VISTA, Attorney Franco sat as the chair of the Board of Directors for the Latino Economic and Development Center (LEAD). Attorney Franco is now a solo practitioner who dedicates her time to serving the community through her immigration law practice. ### La Abogada Yvonne Franco Pérez obtuvo su Doctorado en Juris de Derechos de la Universidad de Idaho con énfasis en la organización empresarial. Tiene una licenciatura en Ciencias Políticas, con especialización en español y una maestría en Administración Pública de la Universidad Estatal de Idaho. Su pasión de la abogada Franco es servir a la comunidad. Antes de ingresar a la facultad de derecho, trabajó en AmeriCorps VISTA, un programa de servicio nacional diseñado específicamente para luchar contra la pobreza y ayudar a quienes se encuentran en circunstancias desfavorecidas. Allí dedicó su tiempo a crear un programa KinCare sostenible para familiares que crían hijos de parientes. Antes de AmeriCorps VISTA, la Abogada Franco ocupó el cargo de Presidente de la Junta Directiva del Centro Latino de Desarrollo y Economía (LEAD). La Abogada Franco ahora dedica su tiempo a servir a la comunidad a través de su práctica legal de inmigración.