About the firm
Amparo means protection.
Amparo significa protección.
Amparo means protection, or shelter. In much of Latin America it is also the name of a court action that protects a person's basic rights. That is the work we do.
Why this firm exists
Marisol Ochoa spent six years at a Charlotte legal aid office. She saw the same thing every week: a family who had already paid a notario, sometimes thousands of dollars, for papers that were wrong, late, or never filed. By the time they found a real lawyer, a deadline had passed.
She opened Amparo in 2014 with one rule: every case is handled by a licensed attorney, and every client hears the truth about their case before they pay for the next step. Samuel Etienne and Ana Lucía Barrios joined as the firm grew.
We are still small on purpose. Three attorneys can know every client's name, every court date, and every family behind the file.
"Families do not need a lawyer who promises. They need one who explains, prepares, and shows up."
- Opened in Charlotte
- 2014
- Attorneys, all in removal defense
- 3
- People on the team
- 11
- Languages we work in
- 7+
How we work
Rights before fear
We start every first call by telling you what you are allowed to do and what you never have to do. Fear makes bad decisions. Information makes better ones.
No promises we cannot keep
No lawyer controls what a judge decides. We tell you the strengths and the weak spots of your case, in writing, before you pay for the next stage.
Your language, the whole way
Every person on our staff speaks Spanish. We bring interpreters you trust for other languages, at no extra cost, for every meeting that matters.
Confidential by default
What you tell us stays with us. We ask how it is safe to reach you, and we follow that answer.
Somos abogados, no notarios
We are not notarios.
In many Latin American countries, a notario público is a trained lawyer. In the United States, a notary public only witnesses signatures. A notary cannot give legal advice, cannot choose which form you need, and cannot represent you in immigration court.
Only a licensed attorney, or an accredited representative working at a recognized nonprofit, can do that. At Amparo, every case is handled by a licensed attorney. Ask us for our bar numbers. We are glad to give them.
Warning signs, from anyone
- They promise you will win, or that they have "connections" at immigration.
- They cannot give you a bar number, or say they do not need one.
- They call themselves a notario, consultant or "immigration specialist" instead of an attorney.
- They ask you to sign blank forms, or forms you were not allowed to read.
- They keep your original passport or documents.
- They charge to fill in forms that are free, or will not give you a written receipt.
If someone took your money and did not help you, you may be able to report it. We can tell you how, and we can review what was filed in your name.
The people you will talk to
Attorneys and staff-
Marisol Ochoa
Founding attorney
-
Samuel Etienne
Attorney
-
Ana Lucía Barrios
Attorney
-
Rosa Interiano
Detention line coordinator
-
Yohannes Bekele
Interpreter and case assistant
-
Fernanda Lopes
Senior paralegal
Where we work
In court, at USCIS, and out in the community, from our office on Central Avenue.
Charlotte immigration court
Most of our non-detained clients have hearings here. We are there most weeks.
Detained courts, by video
Detention centers in the Carolinas and Georgia. Many hearings happen by video.
USCIS and the asylum office
Asylum interviews, U visa and VAWA petitions, work permits.
Free know-your-rights talks
At churches, schools and community centers, in English and Spanish. Ask us to visit yours.
Free case evaluation
Talk to a lawyer about your case.
The first 30-minute case evaluation is free, by phone, video or in person, in English or Spanish.
Urgent
Someone detained, or a court date soon?
(704) 555-0119Answered 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish.
What to do right now