Member 2008-present American Immigration Lawyers Association
With nearly 25 years experience, let us help you navigate the immigration laws and achieve your goals!
About Mendoza Newton Immigration Law, PLLC
Types of Cases Handled:
- Asylum & Protection
- Employment Authorization
- Permanent Residence
- Consular Processing
- U and T Visas
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- Deportation - Removal Defense
- Family-based petitions, visas, and adjustment of status
- DACA
- Naturalization
- Waivers
Rachel A. Mendoza-Newton
A Louisville native, Rachel obtained her BA at Smith College in Northampton, MA. Her studies included a semester abroad at la Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Valparaíso, Chile. Before law school, she volunteered full-time for a year at Casa Marianella, a shelter for Latin American refugees and the Spanish-speaking homeless in Austin, TX. She attended Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) in Boston, MA, graduating in 1997. Through NUSL's cooperative education program, she completed internships with Proyecto Libertad in Harlingen, TX, The New Mexico Court of Appeals in Santa Fe, NM, the Department of Public Advocacy in Anchorage, AK, and the National Whistleblower Center in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Mendoza-Newton is fluent in Spanish, and her primary focus has always been on immigrants. Immediately after law school, she defended immigrants and the native-born alike in her work with the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office. She practiced exclusively immigration law at the International Institute of Buffalo in New York and Ahmad Law Office in Lexington, KY, before joining Russell Immigration Law Firm in December 2008. When Russell Immigration closed its doors in June 2024, she opened Mendoza Newton Immigration Law.
A member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and several immigrant rights advocacy groups, Ms. Mendoza-Newton appeared in multiple Kentucky media outlets when interviewed about immigration issues. She has fiercely advocated for immigrant and refugee rights for many years, most notably in the defeat of SB6, the Kentucky bill that would have been the equivalent of Arizona’s infamous anti-immigrant law. Her practice focuses primarily on U visas (for crime victims), family-based immigration, naturalization, asylum, and defending immigrants in the Immigration Courts. Ms. Mendoza-Newton is particularly passionate about helping abused, victimized, or oppressed people find empowerment, and deeply values the privilege of watching them bloom as they do so.
Why is it important to have an immigration lawyer ?
Our immigration laws are often described as the second most complex area of U.S. law—surpassed only by the U.S. tax code.
A small and innocent mistake in an immigration filing can not just doom the case - it can also result in the noncitizen fighting deportation in immigration court.
An experienced Immigration lawyer understands these dangers. She can help you avoid legal landmines and drastically reduce the likelihood of rejections or delays caused by inaccuracies or missing information.