Every case and every client comes with a unique, and often compelling, story. This one, we’re happy to report, comes with a happy ending. But, when we first began this journey with our client, there was nothing easy or certain about it.
When you talk about the “best and the brightest” emigrating to the United States, Sandeep Chaudhry* and his family met that standard in every way. A hard-working IT professional who came to America legally, Sandeep had arranged, through the attorney recommended to him by his company, to have his work visa extended as required by law.
Legal malpractice creates an immigration nightmare
A unique aspect of immigration law is that on some occasions, an immigration attorney can simultaneously represent the immigrant and the entity sponsoring his or her visa. In this case, Sandeep’s company was sponsoring his visa. So, as the applicant for the extension, his company hired an attorney who in turn came to represent Sandeep as well.
We want to point out that it’s relatively rare for an attorney to have such “dual representation.” The question is: what happens when the company and the immigrant have competing interests? Where should the attorney’s loyalties lie?
Sandeep did everything he was supposed to do to keep his status current. His attorney, unfortunately, did not. Because of the attorney’s missed deadlines, Sandeep and his wife were being threatened with deportation back to India. And to make matters worse, the couple could have been deported without their two young sons, who were both American citizens.
For Sandeep and his family, the American dream had spiraled into a legal and bureaucratic nightmare—one fueled by the lies and negligence of others.
Seeking protection and justice through Ohio civil litigation attorneys
This is when Sandeep came to us for help. He was forced into unemployment because of the uncertainty of his immigration status. Unable to work, and at the mercy of his attorney, he and his family depleted their savings account and were forced to charge basic living expenses to credit cards. He was exhausted from stress and gaunt from limiting himself to one meal a day to ensure his children would be fed.
We were certain that Sandeep had been the victim of legal malpractice. We also discovered evidence that his employer had been warned about his immigration status but had failed to alert him. Instead he consistently received lies and false assurances from his attorney and his company.
We initiated lawsuits against them both.
Two victories that changed everything
Both sides denied any complicity in the Chaudhry family’s woes and blamed the other party. But the evidence said otherwise. Ultimately, we were able to win significant settlements from both defendants.
The immigration attorney whose negligence set the whole thing in motion initially denied any wrongdoing. Eventually, that attorney agreed to provide a Lozada affidavit: an admission that the client had been diligent in his efforts to fully comply with immigration law and that he—the immigration attorney—had been responsible for the Chaudhry family’s problems with immigration authorities.
From Sandeep’s former employer, we sought a significant financial settlement, one that would not only compensate Sandeep for two years of unemployment but also for the significant loss of income that he would have to face by being forced to return to India.
Immigration law provides that, because he had failed to file properly for a legal extension and had overstayed his visa (on advice of his immigration attorney), Sandeep would be barred from returning to the United States for ten years. What he could earn in India was a fraction of his earning potential in the United States, and we built that difference—as well as the expenses associated with deportation—into the settlement we ultimately reached with the employer.
The settlement provided much-needed financial relief for the Chaudhry family, but it couldn’t prevent their deportation. We had been advised of that early on and openly shared that reality with Sandeep.
To India and back
The Chaudhry family (including, thankfully, the boys) were forced to return to India but maintained the hope of one day coming back to America. Sandeep loved this country and what it stands for. He appreciated the professional opportunities it offered him, and he wanted his sons to be raised and educated here.
A couple months after resettling in India, Sandeep wanted to begin the process of attempting to return to the United States. He went to the U.S. consulate and presented all the documentation from his case, including the Lozada affidavit.
Then he was stunned.
The consulate officials looked at his application and his evidence and stamped approval for his return to the U.S., waiving the ten-year waiting period. He found an employer who would sponsor him for a green card, giving him the right to permanent residence and, eventually, the opportunity for naturalization.
Sandeep is working again in the United States. His family is now living in Des Moines, Iowa and we keep in regular contact.
If you have been injured through legal or medical malpractice that calls for civil litigation, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to help.
*Names in this article have been changed to protect our client’s privacy.
The outcome of any client’s case will depend on the particular legal and factual circumstances of the case.
