I am an expert witness that has dedicated the last twelve years to helping immigrants avoid deportation or removal in the United States. As a daughter of Bengali speaking immigrants, I felt it was important to give back to the community and to help people who are suffering overseas. So far, I have had the opportunity to help over 250 families who have globally endured torture, religious and political persecution, domestic violence, and other extreme hardships. Many families have young U.S. Citizen children who are entirely dependent on their undocumented parents.
Since 2005, I developed a unique integrative approach and have been helping migrants and refugees from being deported in immigration court. Using a global mental health framework, I holistically combine narrative therapy and forensic approaches to tell life histories to immigration judges. As I bring cross-cultural perspectives into court, this practice has been powerfully effective in educating American judges. Although there are never any guarantees in the legal system, my holistic practice has maintained a high success rate and has helped immigrant families stay together through courts granting asylum or cancellation of removal.
Our current administration has caused many restrictions and challenges among vulnerable immigrant communities in the U.S. This immigration related work is needed now more than ever, to challenge unjust and unfair policies in effect. Immigrant families in South Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, and Middle East are the most at risk and face imminent threats of death every single day. The UNHCR says that 24 people are displaced every minute of the day. This work helps to address the legal and social crisis many people face and hopes to assist with these challenges.
I come from an interdisciplinary background in both law and psychotherapy. I have a Master of Social Work degree from Smith College School for Social Work and a Juris Doctorate from Rutgers Law School. Most recently, I graduated from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts.