Meet Irma Pérez | Immigration Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irma Pérez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irma, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My dad kept asking why I was making money for someone else. Honestly, it never occurred to me to start my own business because I liked the safety that I thought I had with someone being in charge of covering my paycheck. However, I realized that the same fears that kept me from starting my practice were likely the same fears that successful business owners confronted on a regular basis. I also appreciated more and more being able to pick my own clients, which allowed me to mold my reputation in a way that I felt honored the way that I work with integrity. The decision to finally start my law practice happened really fast and I moved fast, likely because I didn’t want to give fear and self-doubt to creep in.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m an immigration attorney and take pride in helping people secure their family’s future in the United States. In elementary school, I remember translating for my parents over the phone. I remember when California voters passed Proposition 187, which I understood to place my parents’ place in this country at risk even though they were here legally. I wanted to help my community and soon I realized that I could do that in the legal system. I love being a familiar face that clients see defending them from deportation in a courtroom. I love being able to communicate with my clients in a language that they understand without an interpreter. What is hardest about my job is when my creative legal arguments can’t overcome flawed immigration law in this country. I try my best to explain these setbacks to clients because I don’t want them to become victims of fraud when notary publics, or worse, other attorneys, try to convince them that there is a path for legal residence. One of my most memorable cases involves a family whose case I worked on over 20 years ago when I was a legal assistant for an immigration attorney. This family had been defrauded by a notary public and ended up having to defend themselves from deportation in immigration court. They lost their case in immigration court, I left that office, and I assumed the family had left the country because that’s what they said they would do. Fate put them back in my life after I became an attorney and I was able to help them become green card holders, and I’ll soon help them in becoming U.S. citizens.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I preface this list by saying that I’m not an L.A. native. I was born and raised in Redwood City, which is in northern California.

For breakfast, I would take them to Tamales Liliana in East Los Angeles and have café de olla with some chilaquiles. If we’re doing a weekend brunch, then I would take them to La Grande Orange in Pasadena for their sangria and burger.

For lunch, I’d propose getting a burger and chili cheese fries from The Hat, or a torta from Cook’s torta, which are both in Monterey Park. From The Hat, I always get the junior burger so I have enough room to split the chili cheese fries with someone else. From Cook’s Torta, it’s hard to pick, but I would likely get La Diabla, which is a chicken torta – I love how the queso fresco tames the heat of the chile de arbol.

For HH, I’d take them to Perch near Pershing Square. I prefer their rooftop bar but love their restaurant area as well – it’s full of light and makes me feel so fancy.

For dinner, I want them to experience music that I like, so I would take them to the top floor of El Mercadito for Mexican food, beer, and mariachi.

Even though it’s a tourist trap and I hate finding parking, I would take them for a walk to Griffith Observatory – the view is unmatched and worth dealing with tourists in my opinion. If my friends have children, I’d take them to Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Feeding time for the seals is so awesome and it’s exciting to geek out over the marine life there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents were instrumental in me having a career and my dad especially encouraged me to start my own business. I suffered a massive heartbreak last year when my dad passed away and the grief is still raw some days. However, I decided to request his immigration file and felt so proud of what my parents came to this country from México to accomplish. In the 1980s, my parents were on the cusp of being deported and argued, among other things, in immigration court that deporting them would result in lost educational opportunities for my siblings and me. They just wanted the opportunity for prosperity for their family. I am part of my parents’ dream realized – a college-educated, graduate-degree-having, attorney who is proud of her Mexican roots.

Website: https://irmaperezlaw.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abogadairma/

Image Credits
Eddie Sadiwa (only for first one)