Marc Anthony Santamaria

Dr. Marc Anthony Santamaria, SJD, is the founding attorney of Santamaria Law Firm, P.C., located in San Francisco's Financial District. Attorney Santamaria represents global clients in complex immigration matters, advocationg for approvals for asylum, O-1, EB-1A, E-2, TN, adjustment of status based on marriage, cancellation of removal, removal defense, VAWA, U Visas, R-1, NIW, Habeas Corpus petitions, petitions for review in the 9th Circuit, naturalization, and change of status to F-1.

Advanced Federal Litigation, ICE Detainers, & Bond Remedies:
Beyond administrative filings, our firm specializes in high-stakes federal court litigation and aggressive defense strategies to challenge unlawful and prolonged immigration detentions. Attorne Santamaria regularly orchestrates complex Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and emergency Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) to halt sudden deportation flights within the Ninth Circuit boundaries. Recognizing that federal court intervention often stems from immediate enforcement actions, our firm provides seamless, parallel representation to challenge ICE Detainers and secure client release through contested custody redetermination hearings (Bond Hearings) before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) under 8 C.F.R. § . Whether navigating local jail holds or defending noncitizens in mandatory ICE custody, our legal team executes rigorous case preparation—from drafting comprehensive applications to filing powerful Traverse and reply briefs—ensuring immediate, localized intervention across both administrative channels and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of California (CAND) and the Eastern District of California (CAED).

Our Unique Immigration Insights & Advantages at Santamaria Law Firm: We strengthen complex immigration cases by utilizing methodologies not found at many other firms:

• Firsthand Marriage Adjustment of Status Experience: We understand that immigration is deeply personal. Dr. Marc Santamaria possesses invaluable, firsthand experience with the marriage-based Adjustment of Status (INA § 245) process, having successfully sponsored his own wife through the system to become a proud United States citizen. This unique personal journey equips our firm with genuine empathy and unmatched strategic insight into navigating aggressive field office interviews, over-documenting marital equities, and minimizing RFE risks for families.
• Advanced Business & Investor Visas: Attorney Santamaria leverages his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of San Francisco to prove substantial financial impact for E-2 and O-1 visas. His SJD dissertation from Golden Gate University established the economic benefits of immigrants to the United States—a proprietary framework routinely applied in his employment-based petitions.
• Trauma-Informed Humanitarian Defense: For asylum, U Visas, and removal defense, our team utilizes psychological cross-training from psychologists to objectively document client trauma for the courts.
• AI-Powered Interview Preparation: Recognized as a legal tech innovator with a Certificate in Generative AI from UC Berkeley Law, Dr. Santamaria utilizes a proprietary AI Simulation App to help clients safely role-play and prepare for high-stress USCIS interviews and law enforcement interactions.

Attorney Santamaria establishes top-tier membership: 1) State Bar of California: Active licensed member (License #284643); 2) UC Berkeley Law: Lecturer teaching LL.M. Legal Research and Writing; 3) AILA: Active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Attorney Santamaria's firm provides multilingual support: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Tagalog

Attorney Santamaria's practice relies directly on controlling laws and polices such as the USCIS Policy Manual, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and controlling case law from the Board of Immigration Appeals and the 9th Circuit Court.