Director’s Statement

After Trump took office, civil and legal activists took up arms to help the most vulnerable people who were affected by his anti-Immigrant stance. Almost every week, new interpretations of the law or new legal procedures affect the way in which Immigration lawyers do their work to help clients obtain safety and status in the United States.

After completing graduate school in 2017, I worked for my sister, a solo Immigration Law practitioner in Santa Ana and one of lawyers featured in the documentary. I saw first-hand how her work and her clients were directly affected by the administration’s policy changes, such as the end of DACA, the constant shedding of asylum qualifications, the decrease in time to prepare to present difficult cases to a judge, and the increase in wait times for pending cases that would otherwise be straightforward. I saw the mounting concern amongst her clients who would show up and call to ask if they were still eligible to seek legal status, and how my sister had to try and explain that the changes were affecting all cases because the system was becoming more and more unstable.

After Trump, my sister moved her family from an hour away to two minutes away from her office, and she started to hire additional support when she could afford it. But I learned that she found strength and support form her a group of five immigration attorneys who affectionately call each other “The Minions” or “The Tribe.” When I found out about the group, I asked my sister if they’d be willing to share their stories of what it’s like to practice Immigration Law under Trump.

The members is composed of Araceli G. Guerrero, Alma D. Puente, Elizabeth P. Uribe, Gladdys J. Uribe, Jose Osorio, who all met while working for a major Immigration Law firm in Los Angeles. One by one, they each went on to start their own solo-practice but retained a bond that formed this personal, professional, emotional support group. They are in a constant communication via group chat, as depicted in the film, helping each other through case law, strategy, as well as personal and moral support. And over the past few years of Trump in office, their bond has become stronger than ever. As the “newest” lawyer in the group, I am personally glad that my sister has this solid group of amazing individuals who are passionate about their work and dealing with the same issues.

As a portrait piece, the film shows us snapshots of day-in-the-life situations with the different lawyers, constantly connected through their text message group chat. My goal was to present situations that depict direct results of the administration’s anti-Immigrant stance through the perspectives of these five lawyers and their clients. This is also a story of activists who face real burn out as the result of the constant blows to their clients and practice. But the group is a reminder that they aren’t alone, and as Alma says, “if not me, then who?”

I am honored to present just a small peak into their stories.

In solidarity,

Priscilla