Michelle Perez

JD, Founding Attorney

East Coast Immigration Attorney and Founder of Saavedra and Perez Law

I have been practicing immigration law for almost 9 years. I am passionate about taking on challenging cases and finding creative arguments to secure status for our clients.

My Personal Connection to Immigration Law

As a daughter of immigrants, I’ve seen the worry on family members’ faces talking about potential deportation. My parents were legal residents, but their stories were complicated. All my dad really knew was that his status in the U.S. wasn’t secure. He spent decades trying to avoid immigration while building a better life for me and my three siblings. He was grateful to be here but not free.

Toward the end of law school, I started working with a criminal attorney who was getting a lot of complicated immigration-related cases. I stepped in to take them over and became passionate about guiding immigrants on their journies. Over the years, I continued to build up my expertise in immigration and citizenship, helping individuals and families understand their rights and know what options were available to them, even if they had been accused or convicted of a crime.

Removal, Defense Appeals, VAWA, and Waivers are my core practice areas at Saavedra & Perez Law. The greatest reward for this work is the gratitude and reactions of clients when we win their cases. I can imagine the relief their family members feel, knowing they are safe and free in the U.S.

Where do I feel like I belong?

I feel the greatest sense of belonging with my family—my husband, my girls, my parents, and my siblings. I also have a large, extended family and love getting together with them. Our gatherings are full of laughter and fun. We cook, the men play dominoes, and the women talk about life and kids. Our children run all around us playing. It’s just pure joy. Some of my favorite memories are from times we stay together in big rented houses. When we’re there, we don’t have to worry about everyday things for a few days—we just get to enjoy being together as a family. I feel at ease, happy, and secure—even when life is feeling chaotic.

Joy comes from being with family.

I love to spend time at home or going to my family’s house to hang out with loved ones. Living in Florida, we enjoy going to the beach and watching our daughters play in the sand. Disney World is close to us, so we take advantage of being able to just visit for the day. Our absolute favorite way to spend time together is by going on cruises and exploring all the ports that are available to us that way. So far we’ve visited Mexico, Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, and Bahamas. Mexico was my favorite because of learning about the different tribes during excursion trips and looking at the beautiful, old architecture.

Back to Team