The Mindset Shift Every Immigration Litigator Must Make

Many immigration attorneys are trained to focus on proving that USCIS got the facts wrong. In federal court, that approach is not always enough. In this video, I share comments from a recent immigration summary judgment motion review (with all identifying information removed) and discuss one of the most important transitions an immigration attorney can make: shifting from administrative advocacy to APA litigation. We explore: ✅ Why "USCIS got it wrong" is often not the strongest federal court argument ✅ How federal judges evaluate agency reasoning and legal error ✅ The APA standard of review ✅ Common framing mistakes in summary judgment briefing ✅ How subtle changes in argument structure can strengthen a federal court case As a former DOJ-OIL and DHS-ICE immigration litigator, one of my favorite parts of my work is mentoring immigration attorneys as they build confidence and develop federal district court litigation strategy. 📧 ozlem@barnardlegal.com 🌐 www.barnardlegal.com #APALitigation #Mandamus #FederalCourt #ImmigrationAttorney #SummaryJudgment #USCIS #ImmigrationLitigation #AdministrativeLaw #FederalCourtAdvocacy