Veronica Garza passed her United States citizenship test with flying colors. She received her naturalization certificate. She raised her right hand and took the Oath of Allegiance.
It would be years before she realized she had been a citizen all along.
Garza was a citizen by birth as the daughter of an American father, but an immigration officer incorrectly told her otherwise, and she could not afford legal representation. Now, the immigration attorney works to support others facing the legal process.
“The purpose of keeping families together for me just spoke to me in a different level,” she said.
Her pro bono work earned Garza a nomination for 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.
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Rosa Berdeja, a fellow immigration attorney who credits Garza for helping her find a passion for the field, said Garza is always willing to fight for her clients, at any time or place.
“Veronica is an exceptional attorney driven by a genuine passion for serving those who are most vulnerable,” she wrote in an email to the Report. “She shies away from the spotlight, as those with a servant’s heart often do. This recognition is crucial because it highlights just how remarkable she truly is.”
The outcomes of immigration proceedings can be life-altering, but those unable to afford an attorney are not provided with one because immigration court is a civil proceeding. Without pro bono representation, immigrants can face the proceedings alone.
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52 Faces of Community is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting local unsung heroes. It is sponsored by Central Market, H-E-B and JPS Health Network.
At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.
Children may also have to navigate family court. A relative or family friend in the U.S. may be able to obtain custody of the minor, a step toward qualifying for the right to stay in the country. But cost can keep a guardian from hiring an attorney. Without one to assist, the child could miss out on an opportunity to stay they would have qualified for otherwise.
Some children sit in the courtroom clutching a toy for comfort, too young to understand what is happening, Garza said. Others are teenagers forced by hardships to grow up too fast.
Garza finds the work both emotional and rewarding.
“Even though it’s really hard, I love those cases,” she said. “They’re part of my heart and why I love immigration work. It’s because you get to make a difference in those children’s lives.”
“Veronica is an exceptional attorney driven by a genuine passion for serving those who are most vulnerable.”
Rosa Berdeja, immigration attorney
Garza got her start in immigration law through a fellowship at Catholic Charities Fort Worth when she was a student at the Texas Wesleyan School of Law, now the Texas A&M School of Law. Catholic Charities hired her as a staff attorney following graduation.
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Garza’s experience with the immigration system may have been unnecessary and difficult, but it instilled in her the importance of representation. It also helps her empathize with her clients.
“Now I’m like, well, if I hadn’t gotten through that, maybe I wouldn’t care as much as I do today about our clients and their experiences and what they’re going through,” she said.
Fifteen years in and driven by a sense of purpose, Garza still loves her work. She has no plans to let up any time soon.
“It’s really difficult right now with everything that’s happening, but we need good advocates,” she said. “We need people who care and who will make a difference, and so, we’re going to keep going. If we can, we’re going to keep going until the end.”
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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