Case Summaries
At Sokhn Law Offices, we pride ourselves on our successful track record in immigration and personal injury law. Here, you can explore a selection of case summaries that highlight our commitment to our clients and the outcomes we strive to achieve. Each case reflects our dedication to providing personalized legal solutions tailored to individual needs.
From Uncertain Status to Proven U.S. Citizenship
The Situation
In the early 1980s, our client entered the United States from Mexico without inspection and lived here for more than 40 years believing she was undocumented. She and her brother came to us seeking a path to legal residency. During our consultation, they shared memories of their father—an American citizen—who visited them regularly in Puerto Vallarta during their childhood before suddenly disappearing from their lives. They also provided old photographs and correspondence from the Social Security Administration addressed to their mother regarding their father.
Our Approach
These details raised a critical question: could our client have been a U.S. citizen since birth? To answer this, we needed to reconstruct their father’s history. Using genealogical research tools, including Ancestry records, we uncovered key information—his birth, residence, census records, and ultimately his death. Piece by piece, we built the evidence needed to confirm his U.S. citizenship and presence.
The Outcome
With this evidence, we determined our client had in fact acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. We filed an N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship, which was approved. She received her certificate of citizenship and later successfully obtained a U.S. passport.
Why This Matters
This case is a powerful reminder that immigration status is not always what it seems. Even after decades of uncertainty, the right legal strategy can uncover life-changing solutions—including recognition of U.S. citizenship.
VAWA Approval with Prior Arrests: A Complex Case Won
The Situation
Our Client was married to a US Citizen and suffered physical and emotional abuse from his spouse. Client was also arrested twice due to allegations by his US Citizen spouse that he sexually abused their children and raped his stepdaughter. Both times, no charges were made by the authorities. Our client filed for divorce. He had entered the United States without a visa many years prior and was undocumented. After filing for divorce, he decided to seek help with legalizing his status.
Our Approach
We filed a VAWA application. We knew that our client’s criminal history could negatively impact his VAWA application but felt confidant we could overcome those negative factors.
The Outcome
Despite numerous requests for evidence and even a notice of intent to deny from USCIS, our client’s VAWA application was granted and he later successfully obtained his permanent residency.
Why This Matters
This case is a reminder that if you suffer domestic abuse by your spouse, whether you are a male or female, there may be a path for you to obtain your residency. This path does not require that you remain with your abusive partner. Lastly, a criminal history is not always going to result in a denial-With careful analysis, review, and proper advocacy, it is often possible to overcome a criminal impediment to your case.
From Trauma to Protection: A Hard-Fought Asylum Victory
The Situation
Our client, a citizen of Mexico, entered the United States in his early twenties after suffering years of sexual abuse and even rape from family members and others in his community. After living in the US for many years, he was arrested for driving under the influence, his first ever arrest, and consequently placed in removal proceedings. Subsequently, he retained my services and I began my representation of him before the Immigration Court. We filed an asylum application due to the immense persecution he suffered in Mexico due to his sexual orientation. However, since we were filing an asylum application many years after my client entered the United States, we had an issue: the one year bar to asylum.
Our Approach
After carefully getting to know our client, we felt that a psychological evaluation would benefit the client personally and legally as it was obvious that our client’s psychological health after years of suffering prevented him from facing his tragic history and navigating a complex legal process like asylum within one year of entering the United States.
The Outcome
After the submission of numerous pieces of evidence and a thorough hearing, we successfully argued before the Immigration Court that our client should be granted asylum and that his medical/psychological hardship should exempt him from the asylum one year bar. The Immigration Judge granted our client asylum protection.
Why This Matters
This case is a reminder that even when there is a legal impediment to your case like the one year bar, it is important to speak to an attorney that will take the time to get to know you. Effective and vigorous litigation is not just important, it is essential for successful advocacy for our clients.