Attorney
Ana Maria Villegas, esq.
Harlingen, Texas Immigration Attorney
As an accomplished immigration attorney and a third-generation immigrant from Mexico, Ms. Villegas understands both the legal and personal sides of immigration law. A fluent Spanish speaker, she was raised in the Rio Grande Valley overlooking the Mexican-American border, and every day she sees how immigration concerns affect life in the southern tip of Texas.
A Background in Business
The daughter of a business owner, Ms. Villegas started her professional life in the business world. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2001 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Agricultural Economics. She went on to receive a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas - Pan American in 2003. Her business background gives her unique insight to aid business clients planning for their immigration needs, including employee immigration H1B petitions.
A Heart for Families
Ana Maria Villegas also obtained a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Houston in 2006. While she was there, she was awarded the Center of Mexican American Studies Fellowship Award. She utilized her social work skills to help refugees in Houston and to help women in Costa Rica fight for equal rights and equal treatment.
From there, she attended DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, receiving her Juris Doctor (JD) in 2009. She started her legal career assisting domestic violence survivors in and around the Chicago area. She knows how the realities of life can affect a person's decisions about immigration and family law issues. She will use that training and experience to help you and your family get through a difficult legal process.
A Passion for Immigration
Ms. Villegas has always felt it was her passion and purpose in life to fight for human rights. Before attending DePaul, she attended the American University Washington College of Law’s Academy of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Summer Program. While in law school, Ms. Villegas focused her studies on international law, international human rights, and immigration and refugee law. She also participated in the Immigration and Asylum Law Clinic. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and Texas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is dedicated to helping immigrants, their employers, and families secure their status and protect their futures.
She is also licensed in the State of Texas as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and is a certified 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) by Yoga Alliance. Additionally, she’s also the only certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher in the Rio Grande Valley.
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Texas 2009
- State Bar of Illinois, 2010 (voluntarily inactive)
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2017
- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2013