ABOUT

Committed to Excellence

Carolina Immigration Law is a non-profit immigration law firm that offers legal services to immigrants through our community partners. By leveraging technology and partnering with immigrant community service organizations whose staff help with the intake process, our doors stay open to new cases at all times. We provide affordable services because we believe that immigrants deserve excellent representation when seeking a legal status.

Our Story

Our co-founders met while exploring ways to serve the immigrant community in the Charlotte area. Recognizing the need for affordable and accessible immigration legal assistance, they wanted to make a meaningful impact. An initial meeting together evolved into creating the Carolina Immigration Law. By uniting our extensive immigration legal and non-profit experience with a background in the private business sector, we’re poised to serve organizations and communities in ways we never imagined.

Meet Our Team

Kiara Vasquez, Supervising Attorney

As the daughter of a first-generation immigrant family, Kiara’s early experiences inspired her to pursue a legal education to help people. Kiara specializes in handling diverse immigration and family law cases. She’s passionate about advocating for and addressing the legal concerns of immigrants in her community, which is what led her to join Carolina Immigration Law.

Before joining our team, Kiara worked as a Supervising Attorney with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, working in the Immigrant Justice Program. Kiara has directly represented immigrants in removal proceedings, applying for various forms of immigration relief and supervised a pro bono program that included 100 volunteer attorneys providing legal services to immigrant families. She is adept at providing training and legal support to other attorneys.

Before working at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Kiara worked at the Immigration Project, a non-profit legal service organization in Illinois, as an immigration attorney representing immigrants in central and southern Illinois. Outside the office, Kiara enjoys cross-fit, reading, and spending time with her family.

Education

Charlotte School of Law, J.D., 2018
University of North Carolina in Charlotte, B.A., 2014

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Kjerstin Lewis, Staff Attorney

Inspired by a college research project that focused on migrant farmworkers and the contributions of migrants and immigrants to communities throughout the U.S., Kjerstin began her work in immigration legal services in 2014. She then spent a year working at an immigration legal services site in Baltimore, MD, further deepening her commitment to this important work.

Before attending law school, Kjerstin worked for World Relief in the Immigration Legal Services Department. During that time, Kjerstin represented immigrants in family-based and humanitarian-based cases as a Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representative. She also started the Immigration Legal Services Program at the World Relief site in Durham.

During law school, Kjerstin participated in the Civil Litigation Clinic, working with tenants in their eviction and housing habitability cases. Kjerstin also worked in policy while she externed for the North Carolina General Assembly Legislative Analysis Division. To stay connected to the immigration field, Kjerstin also interned for the American Immigration Council and a private immigration law firm in Raleigh.

Outside work, Kjerstin likes to cook, watch basketball, hike, and spend time with her cat. She loves learning about different cultures and is learning to speak and read Hindi.

Education

North Carolina Central University School of Law, J.D., 2024
Wartburg College, B.A., 2013

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Helen Caldas, Immigration Paralegal

Born and raised in Colombia, Helen holds family, education, and hard work in high regard. Having experienced economic challenges firsthand, she embarked on a career in the legal profession. After earning her degree in modern languages, Helen migrated to the United States through a cultural exchange program. She then enrolled at the Community College of Philadelphia, where she obtained an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. During this time, she worked as an interpreter, ensuring immigrant patients received quality care by translating for physicians during medical appointments.

Before joining our team, Helen began her legal career at Spear Wilderman in Philadelphia, guiding many people worldwide on their immigration proceedings. Working directly with clients, she provided guidance, conducted intakes, and prepared petitions and applications for USCIS. During this time, she became exposed to family law, handling various custody and divorce cases.

Helen is deeply passionate about helping fellow immigrants find legal assistance and cherishes the opportunity to positively impact others to make their dreams and goals come true. Outside of work, Helen enjoys spending time with her dog, hiking, and exploring North Carolina’s rural scene.

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Genesis Mondragón, Immigration Paralegal

Genesis relocated with her family from Chicago, IL, to Charlotte, NC, in 2005. As the daughter of immigrants, she has Mexican roots and always aspired to work with an immigration law firm to help others gain citizenship. Genesis believes in the importance of competent and loyal legal representation, especially when assisting immigrants in the United States.

Over the last five years, she’s balanced her professional journey as a paralegal while furthering her education. Genesis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and eagerly anticipates merging her interdisciplinary expertise with her legal acumen to advance her career in immigration.

Genesis loves attending concerts, traveling, and baking in her spare time.

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Wayne Snyder, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Wayne is charged with leading the business side of the practice while developing relationships with the community partners. After feeling God leading him to leave his full-time job in corporate sales management in the telecommunications industry, Wayne founded and volunteers as the Executive Director of Atulado Ministries. Today, Atulado Ministries supports the Christian Church in Cuba. Wayne has led dozens of teams on mission trips to the island.

During Wayne’s career in telecommunications, his accomplishments included a first-to-market, ten-year contract for a service that was invented for the opportunity, resulting in the award of a patent for Wayne and a colleague. He was often selected to fill international business roles, including temporary duties in France, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan. After a successful tenor as a sales professional in the Fortune 500 space, Wayne took a leadership role. His tenure in the private sector managing teams and large revenues has allowed him to build and operate top-performing teams and businesses.

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Let's Join Forces

We make it easy to offer your clients affordable solutions to the immigration issues they face.