I find it very difficult to take a political position on illegal immigration, for the simple reason that so many of my clients are illegal immigrants. I have made money representing them, in personal injury cases, in landlord tenant cases, in criminal and motor vehicle matters. It would be extremely hypocritical of me to openly support huge and sweeping crackdowns, although privately, I think the borders did become way too porous under Biden.
Most of the illegals I have represented were good people who came into the USA seeking a better life. One actually came here on a student visa from an Eastern European country. She attended college here on the visa and graduated. Unfortunately, the student visas expire 6 months after you graduate. She couldn't get a meaningful job offer (other than as a nanny!) because of her strong Eastern European accent. As a result she became illegal. She then got pregnant with a disabled child who, although an American citizen by birth and eligible for Medicaid, was a full time job to care for because of the disabilities.
The client was in a car accident, which led to a serious surgery and colossal medical debt, because as an illegal alien she has no insurance. Somehow, with the insurance monies on hand (which were 6 figures, but not enough to pay all of the medical debt), I was able to get the medical providers to take pennies on the dollars with a bankruptcy threat that the client wasn't willing to follow through on, as it would have exposed her illegal status in federal court. It was a Houdini act. I managed to put around $30,000 in her pocket, and I was her hero for life. She brings me a care package of food every Christmas. Really wonderful lady.
Another one of my clients did get deported. A very simple woman in her 50s, from an African country. She paid an Americanized immigrant from her country $25,000 to sham marry her. Despite the $25,000 payment, which was basically all the money she had, the sham marriage paperwork was never prepared and filed. She paid $25,000 for nothing. Unfortunately that left her as purely illegal in this country and an easy target. There was nothing I could do for this lady. Her English kind of sucked and hindered the representation, but I sincerely believe she had the best intentions to be legal, albeit through an arranged marriage. She is now back in the country she came from.
Yet another illegal I recently represented on motor vehicle charges. He was in a routine minor accident. He fled the scene out of fear of deportation. He had no insurance, no registration, and no license, although he believed he had an international license good in all states. Not correct of course. But I got all charges knocked out after he paid for the damage to the car he hit. Which he was easily able to do because he is a hard working guy in the construction business, and makes money.
My state is home to many illegal aliens. They are all over our restaurant, landscaping and construction industries. Most of them, not all, are good people who work hard. But I make my money on these people. So you will never see me at a pro ICE rally, even if privately I understand why the policy is popular.
