Access to Justice
Through Quality Legal Advocacy
OUR VISION
Esperanza exists to increase access to justice for those who need it most. We provide quality legal representation across immigration law and civil litigation — including removal proceedings, appeals, workers' rights, civil rights, lead poisoning litigation, personal injury, and more. As a team of bilingual lawyers, we are committed to zealously advocating on behalf of our clients, both through individual representation and by contributing to broader social justice efforts. Esperanza, the Spanish word for hope, is at the center of our mission — we aim to offer tangible, meaningful hope for those navigating this country's complex legal system.
IMMIGRATION
REMOVAL DEFENSE
We provide representation for people who have cases in immigration court. This includes accompaniment to all court hearings and preparation of court filings, from the beginning to the end of removal proceedings.
ASYLUM
Asylum is a critical protection for people who are fleeing persecution in their home countries. We prepare and submit asylum applications for our clients both inside or outside of immigration court. We work together with our clients to help them tell their stories and gather evidence in support of their claim, and we advocate for them before the immigration officer or immigration judge deciding their case.
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS
We provide representation in all aspects of special immigrant juvenile status petitions for children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by one or both parents. This includes representation in all probate court proceedings and the filing of all required paperwork with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
IMMIGRATION APPEALS
Whenever a client receives an order of removal from an immigration judge, there is a limited window to file an appeal. We prepare and file appeals of immigration court decisions with the Board of Immigration Appeals, including the submission of written arguments to advocate for our clients on appeal. We also defend clients against appeals filed by the government to ensure that they receive all the protections available to them under the law.
FEDERAL LITIGATION
After the immigration court and the Board of Immigration Appeals have reached a decision on a given case, the next step is to challenge the decision before the federal appeals court. For those who have received negative decisions from the Board, we prepare and file in petitions for review in Circuit Court, including written briefs and motions for stay in federal court as well as oral argument before courts of appeals. We also assist with emergency habeas petitions in federal District Court for people who are unjustly detained.
CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL
For those who have lived in the U.S. for a long time, they may be eligible for a form of protection from removal called cancellation of removal. We help our clients in removal proceedings in these complex applications in immigration court, to allow them to remain here and be present for their families.
WAIVERS OF INADMISSIBILITY
There are many barriers to permanent residence that require a waiver. We assist our clients with preparing and filing many kinds of waivers of inadmissibility; for example, waivers for unlawful presence, fraud, and crime-related waivers.
DETENTION & BOND
It is devastating whenever a loved one is confined in immigration custody, and effective legal representation can be the difference between freedom and confinement. We work nationwide to represent people who are stuck in immigration detention, providing legal representation in bond hearings to help secure their release. We also work closely with local community organizations to support families throughout the process.
ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS
We have celebrated with many clients who have received their permanent residence, or "green card," here in the United States. We help our clients evaluate whether they are eligible for a "green card," and we assist them in preparing and filing applications for adjustment to "legal permanent resident" status both in the U.S. and abroad.
CHALLENGING OLD REMOVAL ORDERS
A final order of removal is not necessarily the end of the story for those seeking to stay in the United States. For those with final orders, we prepare and file motions to reopen proceedings in immigration court. These motions, if granted, allow people a chance to present a defense against their removal from the United States.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
There are several forms of humanitarian immigration benefits apart from asylum. We represent clients who are victims of crime in applying for U-Visas; we help survivors of domestic violence apply for relief under the Violence against Women Act; and we we help survivors of trafficking apply for T-Visas..
FAMILY-BASED PETITIONS
We assist our clients with all sorts of family-based immigrant visa petitions. Whether petitioning for a sibling, a child, a spouse, a parent, or a fiancé(e), we prepare and file family-based petitions to unify families here in the United States.
NATURALIZATION
We represent people all the way to the end of the immigration process, including applications for citizenship. We help our clients complete and file the N-400 citizenship application, as well as attending the citizenship interview with them.
EMPLOYMENT-BASED
We assist our corporate clients in petitioning for professionals of all types, including H-1B visas for professional workers, L and O visas for executives and immigrants of extraordinary ability, labor certifications and I-140 petitions for immigrant workers on a permanent basis, and R visas for religious workers, among others.
CIVIL LITIGATION
LEAD POISONING
Any level of lead poisoning is dangerous to the health of children. Lead poisoning has life altering and often catastrophic impacts to their growth and development. Immigrant children are especially vulnerable to exposure to lead poisoning because they are forced to live in housing that is older, unsafe and poorly maintained. In this era of high housing costs and instability, access to safe housing is already challenging and complicated for individuals so relocation is frequently not an option. Bad landlords often exploit this lack of housing and the immigration status of their tenants to avoid their responsibilities and expose their tenants to hazardous conditions.
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Esperanza Law can help you determine who is responsible for poisoning your child and whether your case has merit to recover financial resources that would cover medical expenses, medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
​EMPLOYMENT
Employment law governs the relationship between employees and employers. It governs what rights, duties, and responsibilities exist between these two parties. These laws were the result of labor activism and social reform and ensure fair treatment, safe work environments, wages, benefits, and more.
Esperanza Law can help you determine if your rights as a worker have been violated, review evidence, and get compensation and justice for the harms you have suffered.
WORKER'S COMPENSATION
Workers’ Compensation is a state system that provides medical benefits, wage replacement and disability payments to employees who have been injured on the job. It is a “no-fault” system meaning that it eliminates the need to prove employer negligence so long as the injury arose out of and in the course of employment.
At Esperanza, we will work with you to ensure you receive the best possible benefits through this administrative process. That includes maximizing any potential settlement, handling denied claims, and stopping insurance companies from minimizing what you should be paid.
CONTACT
Esperanza Law
OUR ADDRESS
251 Edwards Street, New Haven, CT 06511
Tel: 203-290-4500
Fax: 203-290-4503
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For any general inquiries, please fill in the following contact form:
