Abiding By The Law

Contributed By - Radhika Bukka

Once again AZIndiatimes managed to meet a renowned personality. This time it is none other than the very famous US immigration attorney, Mrs. Sheela Murthy, in Phoenix, AZ, on Feb 9th.

Mrs. Sheela Murthy is the founder and president of the highly reputable Murthy Law Firm of Owings Mills, Maryland, which is ranked as one of the best U.S. Immigration law firms in the world. She is also a great philanthropist and humanitarian, winning awards for her profession and philanthropy alike.

"Hello, Mrs. Sheela Murthy. It’s a pleasure to meet you and talk to you. How do you like Phoenix?"

 

"Thank you. Well, I have been to Phoenix many times before. Yeah, the weather is pretty good here at this time of the year compared to the Baltimore / Washington D.C. area."

 

"You are such a famous immigration attorney. What made you choose this profession?"

"It’s more of a wish and a dream to fight for justice for people to change their lives for the better. Not just to earn my living, but to make a true difference in their lives and impact them. If there is injustice, I cannot just keep quiet or cower before the government, but feel compelled to fight for justice, asking questions and never ever giving up."

"Pretty inspirational indeed. When did you start your own law firm?"

"After I completed my LLM at Harvard Law School, I worked with 3 large law firms in New York & Baltimore for several years. I started my own law firm in 1994. Part of the reason was that it wasn’t spiritually satisfying for me in those other firms. I really wanted to help people within my capacity and with all my might, instead of helping some big corporates to grow."

"That’s a great thought. We have been seeing the results of it. Now the burning question right away - what do you think of the present immigration scenario in the country? It’s been making the lives of immigrants miserable. What is your take on it?"

"Well, I think it is disgusting and repulsive. America is a nation of immigrants. Everybody has come from someplace else, unless they are Native Americans. How dare the President term immigrants as though they are so negative, when 2 out of his 3 wives are immigrants! It’s unacceptable to me that he is using the term immigrants to polarize, using the words “chain migration” as if it’s related to some nexus of gangs, murderers, and rapists. It is family migration, and families are supposed to be united. The vast majority of these people work very hard, pay their taxes, and feed their families. They are not coming here to commit crime. They are here to have better opportunities for themselves and their children. Nobody can argue that someone should not or cannot have a better life. It's the "pursuit of happiness" that they seek, too."

"H1Bs are targeted. There is so much uncertainty and confusion over new visas and extensions alike. How are immigration lawyers fighting for this?"

"We, the immigration lawyers, are just the instrumentalities or vehicles. It’s actually the employers, the business owners, who should fight for justice as they and their employees are the ones being affected. People think that lawyers want all this to happen because they want more business. It’s simply not the case. It’s the employers’ duty to fight, as they are the ones creating the jobs, hiring the people, and paying the taxes. They should talk to the government and lobby more. But, this is the first time in history that, right from the President, the attitude is anti-immigrant."

"H1Bs are getting rejected when going for stamping. Or there is a lot of waiting time that is putting in jeopardy the future of the candidate. What do you suggest for this, please?"

"If it’s improper rejection, you can contact them directly and tell them so. There is not even a need to hire a lawyer. If it’s truly outrageous and willful violation, you can also sue them. It may take a very long time, but yes, you can sue the government. It’s difficult if you are outside the country, but still it can be done. If someone does injustice to you, you cannot be scared and keep quiet. You need to challenge them. Somewhere, you have to put your foot down and draw the line, otherwise people will take unnecessary advantage."

"In the present job market, fake resumes and experiences are floating around. This sure creates a bad atmosphere. What do you suggest to the employers and the employees?"

"I say no to shortcuts. It may get you a lifetime bar from entering the US. You are not only ruining your life, you are also ruining your family’s opportunities for a better life. You have to follow the rules. Otherwise, they begin to see the community is fraudulent. That’s a blot on the whole community."

"I have read on your website that you have visited the US consulates in India to solve some pending cases. Please tell us about it."

"Yes, the companies tell us that there are some genuine cases pending for 6 months to 2 years in the consulate. I go and tell them the truth and ask them if they can double-check the cases that otherwise will not see any light. Almost all such cases have been resolved successfully, unless there is fraud."

"Hate crimes have increased so much, is there anything that the attorneys of our community are working on?"

"There is this organization called SAALT - South Asian Americans Leading Together. They are very powerful and are working closely with the government and testifying before Congress about all these things. I am part of this group, have been on their board for many years, and supported the organization financially."

"Very interesting to know about SAALT. At this point, I would like to know about the causes you are working for. Could you please brief us about them?"

"Sure, there are many. Locally, United Way of Central Maryland, Girl Scouts, as I believe in empowering girls. To build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Back in India, we do much more. We support 2500 school kids, providing them with breakfast, uniforms, scholarships, money to travel to school. We are helping old age humanitarian homes, some orphanages. My husband and I feel it’s a privilege, an honor, and our responsibility to give back to the society as we are blessed with capacity to do so. My father came from a very humble background, studying under streetlights with borrowed books. He stood 10th out of 10,000 students in engineering college in Karnataka. He always told us that we better give back to the society; that, money has no use unless you use it to empower others and yourself. Otherwise money has zero value."

 

"Thanks for letting us know about your support for these causes. It was great talking to you, Mrs. Sheela Murthy. Thanks for your time and for answering all the questions with patience. Thanks, once again, for the valuable input."

 

                        (Image Courtesy - Anil Kumar)