I’ve been practicing immigration law for almost 25 years, but I’ve never thought of myself as an “ordinary” immigration attorney. Before I was a lawyer, I was a journalist, and I have a broadcast journalism degree. That background shaped how I see my role today, not just as someone who represents clients in individual, employment or investment-based cases, but as someone with a responsibility to get accurate, timely information into the hands of as many people as possible, whether they ever set foot in my office or not.

Immigration law doesn’t sit still. It changes by the week, sometimes by the day, and the people most affected by those changes are often the least equipped to track them in real time. They’re working multiple jobs, caring for families, navigating a legal system that’s confusing even for native English speakers. When a policy shifts, misinformation moves faster than the facts on social media, in group chats, in rumors passed community to community. By the time accurate guidance reaches people through traditional channels, the damage of confusion and fear has often already been done.

That’s the gap I’ve made it my mission to close. I use my background and training as a journalist and my platform as an attorney to get in front of cameras and microphones — on local news, in national outlets, on radio or in print — and translate dense legal and policy developments into plain language people can actually use. Not tomorrow. Not next week. As close to the moment the news breaks as I can manage.

A Recent Example: July 27 and Haiti’s TPS Termination

On July 27, 2026, Temporary Protected Status for Haiti was terminated, the culmination of a legal fight that had wound through the courts for months, following a Supreme Court ruling in late June that cleared the way for the termination to move forward. For hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals and their families across the country, this wasn’t an abstract policy footnote. It was a direct question about their ability to work legally, remain with their families, and continue contributing to the cultural and economic fabric of the U.S.

That same day, I did four separate television interviews with major networks in Los Angeles, New York, Sarasota, and Tampa Bay, walking viewers through what the termination actually meant, what it didn’t mean, and what options individuals might still have depending on their specific circumstances. Four cities, four newsrooms, one goal: make sure that as many people as possible heard accurate information from someone who actually practices this law, instead of piecing together fragments from social media or secondhand accounts.

I want to be clear about something: the overwhelming majority of the people who saw those interviews will never become my clients. That’s the point. My obligation, as I see it, isn’t limited to the people who walk through my door. It extends to anyone whose life is affected by the laws I’ve spent my career studying. If a Haitian mother in Tampa or a father in Los Angeles walks away from one of those segments understanding what to do next, I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.

Why Media Access Matters in Immigration Law

Immigration law is uniquely vulnerable to misinformation. Policy changes are often announced through dense federal notices, court orders, and agency memos that are hard to parse even for lawyers, let alone the general public. Add in the emotional weight of these decisions for families facing separation, workers facing the loss of employment authorization, communities bracing for uncertainty, and you have ideal conditions for panic, rumor, and exploitation by bad actors who prey on fear and confusion.

That’s why I treat media appearances as a core part of my practice, not a side project. When I sit down with a reporter or call into a radio show, I’m there to do the same thing I do for a client sitting across my desk: explain the law accurately and in a way that helps someone make an informed decision about their own life.

The Mission Going Forward

I plan to keep doing these interviews on television, on radio, in print, essentially whenever there’s a development that will genuinely affect people’s lives. Immigration policy in this country is not going to stop shifting, and neither will my commitment to making sure the correct information reaches people quickly, clearly, and without an agenda beyond helping them understand where they actually stand.

Sincerely,

Steve Maggi