Leon Wildes was a pioneering immigration attorney and the Founding Partner of Wildes & Weinberg P.C., the immigration law firm he established in 1960 and developed into one of the premier immigration law boutiques in the United States. A respected scholar and tireless advocate, Wildes built a distinguished career helping thousands of immigrants obtain lawful status, permanent residence, and citizenship in the United States.

Wildes is widely recognized for his landmark representation of John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their highly publicized deportation proceedings in the 1970s. In a case that drew international attention and challenged the policies of the Nixon administration, Wildes successfully prevented Lennon’s deportation after the government alleged that the musician’s anti-war activism posed a political threat. The litigation ultimately helped establish the concept of “deferred action” in immigration enforcement, a principle that decades later became a foundational element of programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Wildes later chronicled the case in his book, John Lennon vs. The U.S.A.: The Inside Story of the Most Bitterly Contested and Influential Deportation Case in United States History.

A graduate of Yeshiva University, where he earned his undergraduate degree magna cum laude, Wildes went on to receive both his J.D. and LL.M. from New York University School of Law. In addition to his legal practice, he dedicated more than three decades to teaching immigration law as an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. Throughout his academic career, he published scholarly articles and lectured widely to immigration attorneys and members of the broader legal community.

A recognized authority in immigration law, Wildes served as National President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and testified before the United States Congress as an expert on immigration policy. His contributions to the field were honored with the Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to immigration law.

Over the course of a career spanning more than six decades, Leon Wildes left an enduring mark on the practice of immigration law in the United States, both through his advocacy on behalf of clients and through his lasting influence on immigration policy and legal scholarship.

Wildes passed away in 2024, but his legacy is carried on by his son, Michael, who is the Firm’s Managing Partner, and his grandson, Josh, an attorney in the practice.