Englewood Mayor and immigration attorney Michael Wildes traveled to Israel in June 2026 to attend the Israel Municipal Expo.
Wildes joined fellow mayors, government officials and civic leaders in Israel to exchange ideas on urban planning, emergency preparedness and the future of local government.
The Jewish Link did a profile on his trip and he told them that his time in Israel provided him with “a better understanding of how Israeli communities have responded to the vulnerabilities exposed by the Oct. 7 attacks”. After the horrific events of October 7, Wildes and his firm have secured U.S. Immigration visas for former hostages including Eli Sharabi, Andrey Kozlov, Alon Ohel, Omer Shem Tov, and was retained most recently Noa Argamani. In addition, Wildes and the other government officials spent time discussing urban planning, emergency preparedness, and other topics effecting the future of their local governments.
Wildes & Weinberg was founded in 1960 by Senior Partner, Leon Wildes. He was best known for his successful representation of former Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono as they fought the Nixon Administration during a five year bitterly contested Deportation Proceeding.
Nearly three quarters of a century later, the firm continues to concentrate its practice in all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law, servicing the immigration requirements of prominent American and International firms, banks, industrial, financial, and manufacturing concerns, as well as law firms in connection with the personnel needs of their foreign national employees.
In addition, the firm has a distinguished clientele and has done substantial immigration work for performing artists, directors, writers, models, actors/actresses, athletes, fine artists, art dealers, curators, and literary agents. Most notable was Leon Wildes’ successful representation of former Beatle John Lennon and his artist wife, Yoko Ono in their deportation proceedings, the basis of which has inspired legislation, and has been portrayed in films, plays, and literary works worldwide. Some of the firm’s other distinguished clients include scholar Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z”l), as well as soccer icons Pele and Karim Benzema, Master Chef Jean-Georges, musicians Joe Cocker, Sinead O’ Connor and Boy George, Gisele Bundchen, Ana Ivanovic, Millie Bobby Brown, as well as First Lady Melania Trump and her family.
Michael Wildes, the firm’s Managing Partner, is also currently serving his fifth term as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey. He is the author of Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door (which draws on over a quarter of a century of his practice in the immigration field) and From Origin to Opportunity: Unlocking U.S. Immigration Law. Mr. Wildes is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Law School and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, both In New York City, and serves as Counsel to Lincoln Center.
Despite difficulties currently being encountered in dealing with U.S. immigration authorities, the firm has maintained an extraordinary track record for success in its cases. The firm’s litigation group has expanded its efforts in filing Mandamus Actions and other Actions in Federal Courts throughout the nation.
In addition, Wildes & Weinberg’s multilingual staff is spread throughout its offices in New York City, Englewood, New Jersey, Miami, Florida, and by appointment only in Los Angeles, California and Tel Aviv, Israel, and are known for their experience and special expertise in processing each foreign national’s case with nothing less than the highest level of professionalism.
For more information on our firm please visit www.wildeslaw.com or contact Michael Wildes at michael@wildeslaw.com.