Alka Mahajan on The Rise of Women in Immigration Law and The Pandemic’s Impact on Immigration and Family
“It is deeply rewarding to be able to make such a positive impact on someone’s life when they get their green card or when they are reunited with a family member.” Today’s woman dreamer, Alka Mahajan is a Boston-based immigration attorney. Inspired by her own experience of immigrating to the United States from India, she helps families navigate challenges, uncertainty and hardships that the U.S. immigration process can present, such as during the Covid pandemic. Today, Alka shares how more and more women are entering the field, and how Covid-19 has impacted immigration (travel bans, consulate closures, green cards). An inspiring woman dreamer, enjoy her story!
1. Tell us your story. You are a leading immigration attorney. What inspired you to pursue law, particularly immigration law?
My own experience of immigrating to the United States from India sparked my interest in immigration law. Having gone through the process myself, I am very familiar with the challenges, uncertainty and hardships that the U.S. immigration process can present. This inspired me to become an immigration attorney to help others navigate the complex U.S. immigration system. My goal is to make the immigration process as simple and stress free as possible for clients. It is deeply rewarding to be able to make such a positive impact on someone’s life when they get their green card or when they are reunited with a family member. The joy and relief it brings to families makes the work I do as an immigration attorney very meaningful and satisfying.
2. How has the pandemic impacted some of your work with immigration law?
The pandemic led to unprecedented uncertainty and hardship for clients with travel bans, extensive processing delays, and consulate closures. Several thousands of people in the U.S. on non-immigrant visas risked over staying and unknowingly accruing unlawful presence for no fault of theirs. I saw many cases where by the time people approached an attorney for advice, they were already out of status while they were waiting for their applications to be adjudicated. We counselled them on critical next steps to prevent the penalty of them not being able to enter the U.S. in future. For eligible clients, we were able to strategically file their green card applications and get them permanent resident status. Time is of the essence in these cases and seeking timely legal advice becomes crucial to avoid unforeseen adverse immigration consequences. We represented many clients who were stuck abroad for more than a year and risked losing their green cards. We helped them return to the U.S. with the proper documentation to establish that they never intended to abandon their permanent residency. We also helped people in humanitarian emergency situations during the devastating second wave of the pandemic in India. We dealt with extreme circumstances to help clients travel back to India to perform the last funeral rights for their parent, or to care for their ailing relative while they faced the risk of losing their jobs and ability to reenter the U.S. It involved contemplating all possible avenues to help the clients depart and return to the United States, including seeking congressional help in some cases.
3. Do you see more women entering the immigration law field? What is your advice to young women interested in becoming lawyers?
Yes, definitely more women are entering the immigration law field. The practice of immigration law has become more challenging than ever due to the increase in politicized immigration rhetoric in recent years. There have been unprecedented immigration law and policy changes than in any other area of the law. This has made our job as immigration attorneys increasingly difficult and demanding. We have to constantly provide creative and ethical solutions while tackling complex new scenarios. As a new attorney if ever in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to senior attorneys in the field for guidance. We have to protect the best interest of our clients in all circumstances. I also believe in giving clients an honest assessment of their case. It may not always be what they want to hear, but it is better for clients to have a clear understanding of their situation, and then as their attorney you can strategically guide them on how to increase their chances for a successful outcome of their case. In the long run clients always appreciate this honest and transparent approach, and it helps build trust and lasting relationships.
4. What are some of your interests and hobbies that you pursue outside of your career?
My favorite thing to do outside my career is spending time with family and close friends. I enjoy interior and holiday decorating, music and travelling to new places.
5. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
My next big dream is to develop and launch a platform addressing immigration issues on social media. I want to make information on immigration rights and issues easily accessible to more people in the community who are hesitant to approach an attorney for help with their immigration problems due to language, cultural and economic barriers.
Bio: Alka Mahajan is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Immigration Law Office of Alka Mahajan. She has dedicated her legal career to representing individuals, families and businesses in immigration related matters. Her law firm is located in Boston, Massachusetts and represents clients all over the United States and around the world. Alka is frequently invited to speak on immigration panels. She is deeply committed to community service and provides immigration assistance to those in need through monthly legal clinics. Alka graduated with her Master of Laws degree from Suffolk University Law School. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is fluent in Hindi and Punjabi.
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