Slatton & Hass Immigration Advocates, LLC

05/19/2026

I really like my job. The wins are satisfying.

05/15/2026

You’re doing amazing Jack!

05/14/2026

God bless the folks putting together bond funds.

05/13/2026

https://slattonhasslaw.com/blog/uscis-pa-2026-01-is-dhs-going-after-daca-again

On May 8, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued Policy Alert PA-2026-01, titled "Deferred Action as an Extraordinary Use of Prosecutorial Discretion." It took effect immediately. Since it was posted by AILA on May 11, I have heard from clients, colleagues, and community members who are understandably alarmed. This analysis is meant to clarify what the document actually does and what it signals.

A new USCIS policy memo does not end DACA. But it signals a clear direction of travel, lays legal groundwork for future action, and must be watched closely by anyone with a stake in deferred action relief. DACA has not been terminated. Existing grants remain valid. This is not a reason to panic.

05/09/2026

Today at 2pm, our firm will be putting on a Know Your Rights presentation at Annapolis Middle School. The school is organizing an incredible community tabling event with tons of great resources, companies, and goodies. Come join us!

05/09/2026

It’s a hard job but the wins are really great wins. I’m proud of the team’s work. And mine.

05/06/2026

Sorry not sorry.

05/01/2026

It might not look like much, but very talented people work in this office. I really love my team.

04/27/2026

This past week, one of our partners, Ashley Hass, had the privilege of presenting on human-centered and trauma-informed advocacy with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland — topics that are vital to the future of our profession.

As lawyers, we’re trained to think in terms of statutes, procedures, and precedent. But behind every case is a person with a story — often one that involves pain, loss, or vulnerability. Trauma-informed and human-centered advocacy challenges us to see beyond the legal issues and focus on the human experience driving them.

It means leading with empathy, listening before advising, and ensuring our clients feel seen, heard, and safe — not buried in legalese or detached process. While the legal side of the process is important to any case, the client's well-being and trust in their legal team is arguably more important because the case wouldn't exist without that trust and rapport.

Guiding the next generation of lawyers to center compassion in their practice gives hope for a more just and humane legal system. 💙

04/27/2026

It’s nerdy how excited I am about this. There’s a free version on my website and a full version for purchase on Amazon [link in bio- Immigratook Playbook]. This is ten years of a knowledge dump in the making.

04/27/2026

The Immigration Playbook: Understanding USCIS from the Inside

I wrote this book because I've been on both sides of the desk. As a former asylum officer and now as an immigration attorney, I've seen what happens when attorneys treat USCIS like a black box instead of what it actually is: an agency full of human beings doing an overwhelming job.

This is a 400-page practical resource with templates, flowcharts, fake cases, and RFE strategies. Designed for immigration attorneys, pro bono advocates, and anyone navigating the system who wants to understand the agency, not just survive it.

This is not legal advice. It's an orientation.

As I wrote in the book:

"When you stop thinking of the agency as a machine and start thinking of it as a collection of human beings, your cases will improve. Not because the law changes. But because you will start building packets the way that exhausted officer needed them... Officers are not adversaries. They are adjudicators, trying to do their jobs under real constraints. They have large caseloads, limited time, and enormous responsibility. They are also human.

This is not just a practice area. It is some of the most consequential legal work that exists. People's families. People's futures. People's safety. The clients who come to us are not abstractions. They are real, and the outcomes are real, and the way we do this work matters.

Do it well. Do it with care. And never forget that on the other side of every file, on both sides of the desk, there is a human being."

Free version + full version: https://slattonhasslaw.com/immigration-playbook

Buy on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/eusYwJbA