Straightening out the legal issues and paperwork of immigration, lawful permanent residency, asylum or refugee status can be a time-consuming, overwhelming task. Heidi Oligmueller and her team at Oligmueller Law Firm, 1915 Dakota Ave., South Sioux City, are there to help.
In the past few weeks, Oligmueller said her office has begun offering informational sessions and services pro bono to those who may be affected by President Trump's move to cancel the DACA program within six months. Her office has taken steps like this before, including earlier this year when the president enacted the so-called travel ban.
"It seems like whenever there's a big change in the law, we get contacted to do those things," she said.
These informational services do more than inform people; they can help provide peace of mind in times of stress and uncertainty.
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"We don't want people to panic in these situations; we just want them to have valuable, good, reliable information," Oligmueller said.
Immigration laws can be dauntingly complex, filled with nuances and exceptions and special circumstances, which is why it's important to have a skilled and experienced ally like Oligmueller.
And becoming a citizen or lawful permanent resident isn't something that happens overnight -- in some cases, 20 years could pass before immigration authorities get to a person's application, even if it was filed by a brother or sister who is a U.S. citizen.
"I think what people don't understand is, the amount of time it takes for some of those options to become available," she said.
When all is said and done, clients are often grateful to Oligmueller for her help.
"We get invited to housewarmings, baptisms, weddings," she said. "You just get really involved in peoples' well-being."
Oligmueller is active in the immigrant community in other ways, including serving on the Executive Board of the Mary J. Treglia Community House, a Sioux City immigrant aid organization, as well as on South Sioux City's Rental Inspection Board and the Language Access in the Courts Committee of the Iowa Supreme Court.
After working for another law firm and a non-profit entity, Oligmueller struck out on her own in August 2014. She is assisted in her work by bilingual paralegal Brenda Hernandez De Lopez and bilingual secretary Araceli De Anda.
The three work together to give their clients a voice in the community and a better chance in their immigration cases.
"I think I've always just had a desire to, you know, really help people," Oligmueller said.
The Oligmueller Law Firm can be reached at 402-494-2199.Â
