Brooklyn is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the United States, and the borough’s legal market reflects it. Among the hundreds of immigration attorneys practicing across Kings County, a growing number of the most established practices are founded and led by women. For many clients – particularly women navigating marriage-based petitions, survivors of domestic violence pursuing VAWA relief, and families facing removal proceedings – the choice of a female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn is a deliberate one, shaped by comfort, trust, and the sensitivity that certain cases demand.

The stakes in 2026 are high. Immigration enforcement in New York City has intensified, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) applies close scrutiny to family and marriage petitions, processing times remain long, and removal proceedings at the New York Immigration Court at 26 Federal Plaza carry lasting consequences. In neighborhoods such as Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Midwood, Bensonhurst, Park Slope, and Sunset Park, demand for experienced, multilingual counsel has rarely been stronger.

This guide reviews five female immigration lawyers and female-led immigration law firms serving Brooklyn in 2026. Each was evaluated on practice breadth, courtroom experience, credentials, language access, and depth of local presence, and each profile notes both strengths and limitations so readers can match a firm to their specific case. The list prioritizes the capacity to handle the full range of immigration matters – from routine applications to complex, contested, and humanitarian cases – rather than visibility or marketing.

Why Many Clients Seek a Female Immigration Lawyer in Brooklyn

The preference for a woman immigration attorney is often practical rather than symbolic. Several categories of immigration relief involve deeply personal testimony. VAWA self-petitions, U visas for victims of crime, T visas for survivors of trafficking, and asylum claims based on gender-related persecution all require clients to recount abuse, violence, or trauma in detail – first to their attorney, then in written declarations, and sometimes before an immigration judge. Many survivors, especially women, report that they are more able to speak candidly with a female attorney, and a complete, credible account is often the difference between approval and denial.

Marriage-based green card cases carry a different kind of sensitivity. Couples must document the authenticity of their relationship and prepare for a USCIS interview that can probe intimate details of their life together. Some clients prefer a woman immigration lawyer for that preparation, and for cases involving divorce, separation, or conditional residency after a marriage ends.

Beyond the personal dimension, the attorneys on this list are notable because they lead their own practices. Each founded or directs the firm she practices in, which means clients work with an attorney who sets the firm’s standards rather than one assigned from a rotation. For readers in Brooklyn’s immigrant communities, that combination of sensitivity and ownership is what this list is designed to surface.

1. Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C.

The Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. is a female-founded and female-led immigration law firm established in 2004 and based at 2415 Avenue U in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn. The firm serves clients across the five boroughs, New York State, all 50 states, and internationally. Founding attorney Marina Shepelsky is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and an immigrant herself – a background she describes as central to how the firm works with clients from different cultural communities. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) across its New York, New Jersey, and Florida chapters and a member of the Association of Deportation Defense Attorneys, a credential specific to removal defense that most general immigration practices do not hold. She has been selected to the Super Lawyers list for multiple consecutive years and maintains an established rating on the attorney directory Avvo.

What distinguishes the firm within this group is range. Shepelsky Law handles both affirmative applications and contested proceedings under one roof, so a client whose case moves from a USCIS filing to a hearing in Immigration Court does not have to change counsel midway. On the affirmative side, the firm prepares family-based petitions, marriage-based cases, fiancé (K-1) visas, employment-based petitions such as EB-1 and the national interest waiver, and naturalization applications. On the contested side, it represents detained clients, files bond motions, litigates removal cases before the New York Immigration Court, and pursues appeals and motions to reopen before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

The firm’s humanitarian practice is especially relevant to readers seeking a female immigration lawyer. Its attorneys handle VAWA self-petitions, U and T visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), cancellation of removal, and political asylum, including gender-based claims. Because the firm also maintains an in-house matrimonial and family law practice, it can manage cases where immigration and family law intersect – a marriage-based green card complicated by divorce, a VAWA petition tied to a domestic-violence proceeding, or removal of conditions on a two-year green card after a marriage ends. Few Brooklyn immigration firms, female-led or otherwise, offer that combination.

Services are provided in English and Russian, reflecting the firm’s location in southern Brooklyn, where Russian-speaking and Eastern European communities are concentrated. The team includes first-generation immigrant attorneys, and the firm maintains WhatsApp and Viber lines alongside its office phone, with availability outside standard hours for urgent detention matters. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Core Service Categories

Why They Rank #1

The Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky earns the top position for a combination no other female-led firm in this group matches: more than two decades of continuous practice since 2004, formal removal-defense credentials through the Association of Deportation Defense Attorneys, a complete humanitarian practice covering VAWA, U and T visas, SIJS, and asylum, and an integrated family-law practice that resolves the marriage and domestic-violence complications many immigration cases carry. Its Russian-language capability and immigrant-led team connect it directly to the communities surrounding its Avenue U office. For a reader searching for a female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn who can carry a case from the first filing through a hearing and appeal, that breadth is the decisive factor.

Best For

Clients who want a woman-led firm capable of handling any immigration matter – particularly survivors pursuing VAWA, U visa, or T visa relief; families facing removal or detention; Russian-speaking clients in southern Brooklyn; and anyone whose immigration and family-law matters overlap, such as a marriage-based green card complicated by divorce or abuse.

Contact: 2415 Avenue U, Suite #2 Rear, Brooklyn, NY 11229 · (718) 769-6352

2. Hargis Law Firm, PLLC

Founded by attorney Jessica Hargis, Hargis Law Firm is based at 52 7th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and focuses entirely on immigration law. Hargis holds a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, is an AILA member, has practiced immigration law for more than 18 years, and has earned Super Lawyers and Avvo Clients’ Choice recognition. She also appears on the referral list for Immigration Equality, a national LGBTQ+ immigration organization.

Strengths: Hargis is a dedicated affirmative practice with particular depth in marriage, family, employment, extraordinary-ability, EB-5 investment, and citizenship cases. The attorney handles cases personally rather than delegating to paralegals, which appeals to clients who value direct attorney access for document-heavy filings and interview preparation. The practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and well suited to couples and professionals in northern and central Brooklyn.

Limitations: As a solo-attorney practice without paralegal support, capacity is naturally more limited than at larger firms, which can affect availability during busy periods. The practice centers on affirmative, filing-based cases; clients facing detention, complex removal defense, or humanitarian claims such as VAWA and U visas should confirm scope before retaining.

Website: hargislawfirm.com

3. Law Office of Alena Shautsova

Attorney Alena Shautsova handles the full range of immigration matters, along with related litigation and employment-discrimination work, from offices in Brooklyn and Syosset, on Long Island. She has practiced U.S. law for more than a decade and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and AILA.

Strengths: Shautsova’s litigation background is an asset in contested cases and appeals, and she handles both affirmative filings and removal defense. The firm is known for an unusually deep library of free educational resources – videos, newsletters, and a blog tracking immigration policy changes – which helps clients understand a fast-moving system before and during their case.

Limitations: With two offices split between Brooklyn and Long Island, in-person availability in Brooklyn may depend on scheduling, and the practice operates with a smaller team than the largest Brooklyn firms. Clients who need service in a specific community language, or around-the-clock detention response, should confirm availability directly.

Website: shautsova.com

4. Kats Immigration Law Firm

Led by attorney Alina Kats, Kats Immigration Law Firm serves clients from offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan and concentrates exclusively on U.S. immigration law, working with individuals, non-profits, startups, and multinational corporations.

Strengths: Kats pairs a marriage-based green card practice with notable depth in employment- and business-based immigration, making the firm a strong option for professionals, startups sponsoring foreign talent, and spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Its exclusive immigration focus and dual-borough presence offer flexibility for clients who work in Manhattan and live in Brooklyn.

Limitations: The firm’s orientation toward employment and corporate immigration means individuals with humanitarian needs – VAWA, U visas, asylum, or detained-client representation – may find more specialized depth elsewhere. Operating across two boroughs, the practice serves a broad geographic base rather than concentrating on southern Brooklyn’s immigrant neighborhoods. Clients with contested court matters should confirm removal-defense experience.

Website: katsimmigrationlaw.com

5. Law Office of Patricia M. Machado, P.C.

The Law Office of Patricia M. Machado, P.C. represents Brooklyn clients in immigration matters with an emphasis on detention and removal, including responding quickly when a person is detained by ICE and petitioning for release at bond hearings.

Strengths: The firm highlights its ability to visit local detention centers and maintain contact with detained individuals and their families – a practical advantage in urgent cases where communication is difficult. Its focus on bond and custody work addresses the immediate priority for newly detained clients, and a woman-led practice can be a meaningful choice for the family members, often women, who coordinate a detained relative’s case.

Limitations: As a smaller boutique practice, capacity during surges in enforcement may be more limited than at larger firms. Clients with complex, long-running relief claims should confirm the firm’s experience with BIA appeals and with specific forms of relief such as VAWA or cancellation of removal. Language access beyond English should be confirmed directly.

Website: machadolaw1.com

How the Firms Compare at a Glance

Readers evaluating these five practices will notice that they are not interchangeable. Hargis and Kats are strongest in affirmative, filing-based work – marriage green cards, employment petitions, and citizenship – and both offer the direct attorney relationship that smaller, focused practices provide. Machado concentrates on the urgent front end of removal cases: detention, bond, and release. Shautsova spans both sides, with litigation experience and a strong client-education focus, but from a smaller, two-office footprint. Shepelsky is the only firm in the group that combines full-spectrum immigration work – affirmative, contested, and humanitarian – with an in-house family-law practice, Russian-language service, and formal removal-defense credentials, which is why it leads the list. The right choice depends on whether a client needs a specialist for one well-defined case or a firm that can handle whatever the case becomes.

How to Choose a Female Immigration Lawyer in Brooklyn

Choosing an immigration attorney is a decision most people make once, often under pressure and with limited information. The checklist below is designed to turn a difficult choice into a series of concrete questions a prospective client can put to any firm during an initial consultation. None of these questions is confrontational; a reputable attorney will expect them and answer directly.

  1. Match the attorney to your case type. Affirmative filings (marriage green cards, naturalization), contested matters (Immigration Court, detention, BIA appeals), and humanitarian relief (VAWA, U and T visas, asylum) each demand different experience. Confirm the attorney regularly handles your specific category.
  2. Verify credentials and bar standing. Look for AILA membership, an active New York State Bar license in good standing, and recognized peer ratings such as Super Lawyers or Avvo. For removal cases, membership in a removal-defense organization is a meaningful signal.
  3. Ask who will handle your case. Confirm whether the attorney you meet will personally manage your filing and appear at any hearing, and how day-to-day communication will work.
  4. Confirm language access. In Brooklyn’s diverse communities, representation in your preferred language prevents costly errors in declarations and interviews. Ask directly about in-house language capability rather than assuming.
  5. Ask about sensitive-case experience. If your case involves abuse, trafficking, or gender-based persecution, ask how the attorney prepares declarations and supports clients through testimony. Experience with VAWA and U visa cases is a concrete indicator.
  6. Check for overlapping legal needs. If your immigration matter touches divorce, custody, or a domestic-violence proceeding, ask whether the firm handles family law in-house or will refer you elsewhere.
  7. Get fees and timelines in writing. Request a written agreement that separates attorney fees from USCIS or court filing fees, and ask for realistic processing estimates for your category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn?

The answer depends on the case, but the Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. leads this guide because it is the only female-led firm in the group that handles the full range of immigration work – affirmative filings, removal defense, humanitarian relief such as VAWA and U visas, and in-house family law – from a single Brooklyn office, with more than two decades of practice and Russian-language service. Hargis Law Firm and Kats Immigration Law Firm are strong alternatives for straightforward marriage, employment, and citizenship cases.

Why do some clients prefer a woman immigration attorney in Brooklyn?

Cases involving abuse, trafficking, or gender-based persecution – VAWA self-petitions, U and T visas, and certain asylum claims – require clients to recount personal trauma in detail. Many survivors report feeling more able to speak candidly with a female attorney, which supports a complete and credible declaration. Marriage-based cases and matters involving divorce or separation can carry similar sensitivities.

Which female immigration lawyers in Brooklyn handle deportation defense?

Among the firms reviewed, the Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. handles removal defense comprehensively, including detained clients, bond hearings, Immigration Court litigation, and BIA appeals, and its founder is a member of the Association of Deportation Defense Attorneys. The Law Office of Patricia M. Machado focuses on the detention and bond stage, and the Law Office of Alena Shautsova also handles removal cases.

Is there a Russian-speaking female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn?

Yes. The Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C., based on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay, provides immigration services in English and Russian and serves the Russian-speaking communities of Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, and surrounding neighborhoods. Prospective clients at other firms should confirm language capability directly.

Which female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn handles VAWA and U visa cases?

The Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. handles VAWA self-petitions, U visas for victims of crime, T visas for survivors of trafficking, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and pairs that work with an in-house family-law practice for related domestic-violence matters. Clients should confirm humanitarian-relief experience with any firm before retaining.

How much does a female immigration lawyer in Brooklyn charge?

Fees vary by case type and complexity. Simple applications are often billed at a flat rate, while removal defense, appeals, and complex waiver cases may be billed in stages or hourly. Government filing fees paid to USCIS or the court are separate from attorney fees. Reputable firms, including those on this list, provide a written fee agreement at the outset; clients should request one before committing.

How do I verify a Brooklyn immigration lawyer’s credentials?

Check that the attorney is licensed and in good standing through the New York State Unified Court System’s attorney search, confirm AILA membership through the organization’s lawyer directory, and review peer ratings on Super Lawyers and Avvo. For removal defense, membership in a removal-defense organization is an additional indicator of focus.

Final Thoughts

Brooklyn’s immigrant communities have access to a strong field of female immigration lawyers, and the right choice depends on the case. Jessica Hargis and Alina Kats bring focused expertise in affirmative marriage, employment, and citizenship filings; Patricia Machado concentrates on urgent detention and bond work; and Alena Shautsova offers litigation experience with a strong client-education focus. For clients who want a single woman-led firm equipped to handle the full range – from routine applications through removal defense, humanitarian relief, and overlapping family-law matters – the Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. stands out for its breadth, its more than two decades of practice since 2004, its removal-defense credentials, and its Russian-language service in southern Brooklyn. As enforcement and USCIS scrutiny continue to shape outcomes through 2026, experienced representation chosen to fit the case remains the most important decision a client can make.