Lourna Mariel Marquez-Carrasquillo

I had a complicated immigration issue. I came to the US in the late 80's as a tourist and never left. I was petitioned by my father who was a US citizen, unfortunately he passed away before my case was resolved. No matter how hard I tried and despite my college degree and professional background, ...I did not get very far in my job hunt using a ridiculously obvious fake green card . In my desperation, after many years of doing odd jobs, I misrepresented myself just so I can get a temporary work permit (a decision that I soon deeply regretted!) For while the work permit enabled to land a decent job, It became the primary reason why 2 prominent immigration lawyers in Los Angeles refused to take my case. The "misrepresentation" extended into many aspects of my life: I claimed US citizenship in filing my taxes, buying a home, attending classes, etc. I stayed at my job for many years - until E-verify forced me to resign. All of a sudden, I had nowhere to go. So despite my prior uneventful consultations with immigration lawyers, I decided to try it one last time. Atty. Marquez was assigned to handle my case. She acknowledged that my case was unusually complex. But unlike other lawyers who did not show any interest in finding a solution, she took my case and attacked the problem at every possible angle. The preparation of the documents was very challenging and took me several months to complete. In the end she was able to come out with a very compelling presentation that was honest and thorough, and addresses all the possible scenarios that could prevent me from getting a Permanent resident visa. I liked her because she was very professional, she never gave me any false assurances, she never gave up on me even when I was feeling discouraged and she was always there when I needed her. I got my GREEN CARD yesterday (August 22, 2014)!