Michael Wildes, Wildes & Weinberg’s Managing Partner, is also currently serving his fourth term as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, 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), is an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, and serves as Counsel to Lincoln Center and several international/corporate law firms. Kudos to Michael on the below review of his book.
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Must-Read For Those Interested In Immigration
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022
In “Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door,” United States immigration attorney Michael Wildes brings the reader through an intriguing narrative that reflects upon his own decades-long career in the industry as well as historic and extant legal challenges the system presents (hence the “battle to open the golden door” of America). The book’s narrative flows smoothly and is easy to follow, avoiding dense legal jargon while still cogently relaying ample law-based information.
As one of the US’s top immigration attorneys and specialists, Mr. Wildes is positioned as few others to relay the content of these pages. Passion for immigration is a legacy of the Wildes family predating Michael; Leon Wildes, Michael’s father, was the immigration attorney for John Lennon amid controversial deportation proceedings, ultimately succeeding in preventing his removal. (As it so happens, Leon Wildes also wrote a book regarding his experience thereof, something which I am planning on purchasing soon.) Going through this book, the reader will encounter myriad instances of Mr. Wildes’ representation of novel individuals, ranging from sensations such as former First Lady Melania Trump and Miss Universe contestants to pro bono cases of Saudi dissidents and mothers of international child abduction victims.
“Safe Haven” is an essential overview regarding the immigration field, suitable for lay student and scholar alike. Because the author works in a boutique firm handling both standard corporate immigration needs as well as humanitarian-based cases (asylum, removal defense, terrorism/crime victims, etc.), the book does a very good job offering an all-inclusive lens into all matters immigration related. In addition to the legal information saturating the bulk of the narrarive-based text, the work also contains an appendix which comprehensively lists and defines essentially all immigration visa categories from A-Z (literally).
Finally, it is behooving to mention how the author is a man of the people. Although his immigration day job is undoubtedly busy and successful, he has throughout his career made commitments to taking on a wide swath of pro bono cases, a number of which are mentioned in the book. Moreover, he serves as the current mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, following a path of public service enshrined in his immigration job as well as a history of earlier public service work in his life (Hatzollah, Chevra Kadisha, the US Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, etc). Anecdotally, I have a friend who is an alumn of Yeshiva University’s undergraduate program who told me that he saw often saw Mr. Wildes on campus, as the latter is very involved in assisting in a variety of different endeavors there. And although a Democrat by political orientation, Mr. Wildes serves as a (unfortunately ever-rare) beacon for levelheaded non-partisanship, yet further reflecting his agreeability among different stripes of people. While he has represented Melania Trump and has amicably associated with her broader family as a private citizen, he has also fervently condemned attacks on DACA from the Trump administration. Mr. Wildes’ hasn’t either shied away from engaging with more conservative pundits such as Sean Hannity in good-faithed debate over immigration, recognizing that it’s precisely such audiences with which immigration advocates ought to converse rather than denigrate. And although the author fervently advocates immigration laws becoming more favorable towards the overwhelming majority of law-abiding individuals wishing to improve their lives and have access to the “golden door,” the former federal prosector & NYPD auxiliary officer does not hesitate to counterbalance this same fervor with a demand for harsher prosecution for criminal elements who would abuse the system
Wildes & Weinberg was founded in 1960 by Senior Partner, Leon Wildes. 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 icon Pele, Master Chef Jean-Georges and Former First Lady Melania Trump and her family.
Michael Wildes, the firm’s Managing Partner, is also currently serving his fourth term as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, 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), is an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, and serves as Counsel to Lincoln Center and several international/corporate law firms.
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 Los Angeles, California (by appointment only) 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.