We were lucky to catch up with Maitte Barrientos Barona recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maitte, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

I work at a non-profit organization in Miami, Florida that offers legal representation for vulnerable individuals in deportation proceedings or individuals with complex immigration issues. I represent both children and adults most of which are victims of some sort of human rights abuse. For example, I represent unaccompanied children who are victims of trafficking or have suffered abuse, abandonment, or neglect at the hands of a parent. In the past, I’ve worked closely with the US Attorney’s Office to help prosecute traffickers and smugglers.

I also defend individuals who have suffered some sort of due process issue while in ICE custody. The majority of my clients do not speak English and they are fleeing some sort of harm, abuse, or displacement in their home countries. Some of my clients include students that fled the Ukraine-Russia conflict, children born in a refugee camp in Myanmar (Burma), and minors who were victims of human trafficking and human smuggling.

The Miami Immigration Court handles the highest number of docketed removal cases in the nation. Individuals in removal proceedings are not afforded attorneys, even if they children. Our work in the South Florida community is incredibly impactful because it makes a direct difference in the lives of individuals who are displaced, do not speak English, and are navigating legal proceedings.

Maitte, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I went to law school and knew I wanted to work in the international human rights field. During my time in law school I served as a law clerk for various non-profits and private offices throughout the United States. I spent time doing immigration work at the border in El Paso. After that, I joined a study abroad program in Galway, Ireland that focused on international human rights law. The following summer I interned for the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts in Lynn, MA which focused on the rights of the child. During my last year of law school I clerked for a juvenile judge in the New Children’s Court and later clerked for the Department of Justice, Immigration Court in Miami.

Overall, my desire to work in the field of immigration has been fueled by the fact that it’s an area at the crux of foreign affairs, international law, and federal law. It is a very fast-paced field and impacted in real time by whoever is in our current administration.

My role is unique because while traditional immigration attorneys focus on business or corporate immigration, my background and experience has exposed me to so much more than just filings with USCIS. I heavily litigate in federal immigration courts across the US, I am familiar with filing state court proceedings and dependency proceedings for unaccompanied children, I’ve worked with individuals who are victims of crimes and domestic violence, and individuals fleeing persecution from all around the world.

Due to my work, I’ve been invited on speaking engagements to help educate the community and fellow colleagues in the field of immigration. I am most proud of the fact that I can serve as a resource to both clients and professionals in the legal space.

What I would like to share more with people is that even though immigration has been a polarizing topic due to the media and misinformation, it is really a field of law that you can’t discuss without having a full picture of how migration patterns work, what is going on around the world, and how our immigration system with in our federal laws work. I encourage everyone to stay informed, learn, and be open to dismantling the bias with which we are taught to view our immigration system.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

A good leader should always be open to listening from everyone on their team and be open changing the way they are used to doing things.

I try to make sure that our team is made up of diverse individuals who all have different talents and different ways of approaching our work. Litigation is an area where you have to stay current but also innovative in the way you approach legal arguments. No two cases or clients are the same, for that reason it’s essential to bounce off ideas and concepts with different individuals. Be open to viewing a problem with a different set of eyes and trying things a different way.

I make sure our team members stay motivated and included by (1) encouraging them to bring their own feedback or ideas in order to make our work more efficient and impactful. (2) I always encourage our staff to extend outside their area of expertise and learn to work on cases outside of their comfort zone. Some individuals are motivated solely by the fact that they continue to grow and learn in their career. Keeping your staff’s career advancement in mind is a crucial part in staff retention.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I recently hit over 10, 000 followers on TikTok after sharing some educational videos on the topic of immigration law. I do not consider myself to be a social media expert by any means but my advice would be to always keep in mind what the pillars of your brand are and make sure that everything you post is in line with those pillars. Second, show up in an authentic way. Believe it or not people want to know about you and your story.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maittebarrientos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maittebarrientos/
• Other: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/5332272.html

Image Credits

Desire Prieto.