Commentary: 'It's become a deportation mill': A day in the life of an immigration attorney

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Set us as preferred Business is better than ever for Karla Navarrete.And she’s not happy about it at all.She’s an immigration attorney who spends six days a week telling people that they have little chance of staying in Donald Trump’s America.“It’s become a deportation mill, and my clients have been placed on speeding rockets,” Navarrete, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, told me at her South Gate office around 8 on a recent Monday morning.

The 42-year-old mother of four had arrived at sunrise to prep for a day of virtual and in-person court hearings and free walk-in consultations.Tchotchkes gifted by grateful clients prettied the pink cabinets and pink walls.

Amid statues and posters of the Virgen de Guadalupe was a rosary that a man had made of hardened bread during his months in an immigration detention facility.On Navarrete’s desk were two Mac laptops and another computer, all logged into immigration courts across the Southland.The private practice she started in 2022 in a small suite now occupies an entire floor and a downstairs reception area, with satellite offices in Chino and downtown Los Angeles.“Almost none of my clients have a winning case based on current law,” she continued.

“’¿Si pasan reforma? [If they pass immigration reform?]’ is their most favorite question.But it’s not just Trump.

It’s Stephen Miller, it’s Congress, and it’s becoming the courts.” A judge called her name.She turned on a heart-shaped computer light, stroked back her long hair and unmuted herself.

1 2 3 1.Karla Navarrete attends three different WebEx court calls in her office.

2.A Statue of Liberty token, bought on a trip to New York, sits in her office.

3.Navarrete speaks with a client during a free consultation.

“Good morning, your honor,” Navarrete said, her voice barely audible...