Bertha Alicia Zuniga

I have dedicated my career to zealously fight for justice and to fearlessly protect immigrant's rights for 44 years.  I am not a young lawyer but an attorney that has lived and experienced changes in Immigration laws throughout 44 years.  I began my journey as a young lawyer working as the first attorney to handle deportation matters for the United States Catholic Conference in El Paso, Texas.

Later, I opened my own private practice in El Paso, Texas where I represented individuals in deportation matters for 15 years.  As an attorney in private practice , I was well known for my common sense yet aggressive approach in representing clients from different countries.  I was appointed the nation's first Mexican-American female U.S. Immigration Judge on April 2, 1995.  I retired as a U.S. Immigration Judge on April 2, 2015.  As an Immigration Judge, I was well known for my dedication and determination to be fair and just, as well as a trailblazer in applying the law to novel issues.   I issued noteworthy decisions including the granting of asylum to female victims of femicide in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; those fleeing violence in Central America and Mexico; and female victims of domestic violence.  Other noteworthy decisions include the granting of applications for cancellation of removal and other waivers available under immigration law.   I authored thousands of decisions in removal and deportation proceedings.  I mentored many new Immigration Judges and DOJ/EOIR attorneys.  I authoried the Aggravated Felony Outline since 2000 available in the DOJ/Virtual Law Library and on the internet.

I have been Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since December, 2010.

After my retirement as a United States Immigration Judge, I decided to utilize all my skills, knowledge, and experience in defending those in need of immigration representation.  In December of 2015, after a brief period in Houston, Texas, I returned to San Antonio, Texas and set up my own law office. I am elated to be back where I started in the private practice of law.  Since my retirement in April, 2015, I have been fearless in my representation of immigrants in removal proceedings.  Since I was an Immigration Judge, I am fully familiar with how Immigration Judges need to follow the law and will not stand by while your rights are violated by new immigration judges that are not fully familiar with immigration law. I will protect your rights.  If you hire me, I will be the one representing you and advocating for you.  

Since I have been in private practice, I have been successful in my defense of legal permanent residents in removal proceedings.  I have obtained termination of removal proceedings in several cases as I have put the government (DHS) to the task of having to prove their case and they have been unable to do so.  I am hired often to enter my appearance after other younger and less experienced lawyers fail in their representation.  If you have been denied, I may be able to investigate your case and save you from deportation.  I have developed a special skill in representing asylum seekers from all countries in the world including MEXICO,  CUBA, BRAZIL, AFGHANISTAN, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, SYRIA, PAKISTAN, INDIA, CHINA, UBEKISTAN, TAJEKISTAN, etc.,  Recently, I've been successful in the representation of gays, transgender and HIV positive individuals in removal proceedings.  

I have a high rate of approval for persons in deportation/removal proceedings who apply to remain in the United States because they have been in the U.S. for 10 years, are persons of good moral character, and their removal would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to their U.S. citizen children, U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouses, or U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident parents.   

I have been successfull in overcoming denials for legal permanent residents based on false claims to U.S. citizenship. 

I am also very knowledgeable in applications for individuals to become legal permanent residents through family members petitioning for them.   If you have a dicrect amily member in the military, you may be eligible for a special permit called the "Parole In Place".

I am pleased to be of service to my community and to search for ways to save you from deportation.