immigration attorney Enrique Mesa

Focusing on the Family: Immigration Law is about Bringing People Together

BY JASMINE TORRES

As he settles into a chair for his interview on First Gen American with host Oscar Villacis, immigration attorney Enrique Mesa straightens out his jacket. “I always get a little nervous before an interview,” he says. He puts on the headphones, “Test, test, test …” and then Villacis introduces him to the show’s growing audience with his signature opening: “Welcome, welcome, welcome, to First Gen American Show.’’

Mesa wipes his forehead and focuses on the microphone before him. He’s ready to share.

After Fidel Castro took over their home in Cuba, Enrique Mesa’s family fled to the United States in search of a better life. Growing up in Miami, Enrique experienced the trials and tribulations of the path to citizenship, so it was not odd that he was called to pursue a career in immigration law. After graduating from the UNH School of Law he opened his immigration practice, but due to his focus on families, Mesa found himself called to help with other types of family law due to the lack of Spanish speaking attorneys. “Many Latinos find themselves having to go to Massachusetts for attorney services because there are not enough lawyers in the state of NH that practice immigration law or even speak Spanish,” says Mesa.

The eclectic focus of his practice continues. “We do not just provide immigration services, we also provide notary services and sometimes just basic translation services because at the time those necessities are not being met to the best of the state’s ability.” Mesa serves as the chair of NH’s Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs and is a Board member of the NH Legal Aid.

When Vallacis asks him about his personal mission as a lawyer, Mesa replies, “I really do want families to be able to stay together. When a family member is separated or deported, it disrupts the entire family dynamic and if there are children involved, it can leave a lasting impact on that child. I hope to keep providing more services and resources for the Latino community so that they can recognize that they have rights.”

“What is something that people lose sight of on immigration?” asks Villacis.

“Everyone tends to focus on the border crises and those who are crossing the border,” says Mesa. “We need to focus on the people who are in our broken immigration system who have been waiting a very long time for citizenship. There are some TPS holders or Dreamers who have been waiting for years and are doing their best to try to follow ‘the right way.’”

So, through the hustle and bustle of everyday life in downtown Manchester, NH immigration attorney, Enrique Mesa, carries on his work to bring families together. His tools are the immigration laws of the United States, but his motivation can be summed up in four words. “Inmigracion es mi passion,” he says, then translates, “Immigration is my passion.”

Courtesy photo