In 1981 at the age of 13, I arrived in the US as a refugee and received my green card shortly thereafter. In my youth, I committed multiple offenses, one of which was serious enough to be considered an "aggravated felony" for immigration purposes. However, despite of my record, I still wanted to be...come a citizen so that I could travel internationally without having to worry if I would clear immigration and customs upon returning. I also knew that my case would be complex and that I needed a good and experienced attorney to help me. My search started in 2010 (by this time I have been living as a green card holder for almost 30 years). I contacted multiple highly rated immigration attorneys listed on avvo.com and felt the most comfortable and confident with Mr. Chavez. The process began with the office conducting a comprehensive review of my background and obtaining certified copies of court records. The work was impressive as they did not miss anything, and I know for certain that I could have never done this myself. After carefully reviewing my record, Mr. Chavez recommended that, for now, I should not apply for citizenship because the risk was too high that USCIS could start removal proceeding against me. His strategy was for me to continue to follow the law, volunteer my time, and wait until the law is more favorable to my case before applying. I was devastated with this news because to me it meant to forget about ever becoming a citizen and this was the end of the road. However, I didn't give up and neither did Mr. Chavez. I set a reminder and send an email to Mr. Chavez every few months just to check if there are any changes to the law that would benefit me. Then six years later (2016), Mr. Chavez and Caitlin Twyman contacted me to let me know that there is a pending case with the Supreme Court that could help (or hurt) me, depending on the decision. (The case is Mathis v. United States: http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/mathis-v-united-states/). After determining that Mathis v. United States helps my situation, Mr. Chavez recommended that I apply. With renewed confidence (on my part), and with the help of the office, we submitted my N-400 application in December 2016. On 03/22/2018, I had my interview with USCIS. During the interview, I was accompanied by Mr. Mark Lee (one of the excellent attorneys at the office). After the interview, the Officer stated that because my case was complicated, he needed more time to review (this usually means a long delay). However, Mr. Lee requested that the Officer review my while we were there so that we could answer any questions he may have. To my surprise, the Officer agreed and after reviewing my file, he verbally told us that he would recommend "approval" for my application. However, his decision was not final and pending a review/approval by his supervisor (this meant that it could be denied even though he wanted to approve). I believed what Mr. Lee did expedited the process by at least a few months and greatly helped my case. Then on 03/30/2018, I received a phone call from the Officer (who was great) informing me that my case has received final approval. Wooohooo, this was one of the best news I have received in a long time!!!! After taking the Oath and receiving my certificate of naturalization on 04/17/2018, I feel as if I have been reborn, and I am forever grateful for the work done by Mr. Chavez, Mr. Lee, Ms. Twyman, Ariel, Beatriz and the support staff. So if you need help with any immigration matter, don’t hesitate to contact the office of Mr. Chavez and Valko.