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IMMIGRATION NOVEMBER 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 35

without fear. Lawyers should also be tive that immigrants harm the coun- anyone.” “New York will remain a city
prepared to challenge the unconsti- try. The truth has always been clear: The king understood, and the of immigrants, a city built by immi-
tutional detentions of noncitizens Immigrants are good for America. Parsis went on to enrich India in im- grants, powered by immigrants, and
through habeas corpus petitions in measurable ways— economically, cul- as of tonight led by an immigrant.”
federal court. The Parsi Parable: A Lesson for Our Time turally, intellectually, and spiritually. That is the power of immigrant
The March 2025 White House That story captures everything communities.
memo attacking immigration lawyers hen a group of Zoroastrian immigration truly represents: That is how we resist authoritar-
known as Parsis fled Persia
and Big Law pro bono programs was Wand sought refuge in India Newcomers do not weaken ianism.
designed to intimidate us. It echoes the over a thousand years ago, the local a society—they enrich it. And that is why we must contin-
famous line from Henry VI: “The first king sent them a vessel filled to the ue to fight—for justice, for humani-
thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” brim with milk, signaling that his land They do not overflow the vessel—they ty, and for the sweetness that immi-
The memo claimed lawyers were transform it for the better. grants, like sugar in milk, bring to
undermining national security mere- was full. every nation that welcomes them.
The Parsi leader asked for a
ly for representing asylum seekers. spoonful of sugar. He stirred it gen- IMMIGRANT POWER TODAY (This blog is based Cyrus Mehta’s
But under the Immigration and Na- tly into the milk without spilling a ohran Mamdani’s victory in prepared remarks as a keynote speaker
tionality Act, people fleeing perse- drop, saying: “Like this sugar, we will New York is one such modern at an IndiXspark event on November
cution have an absolute right to file sweeten your land without displacing Ztestament. In his words: 15, 2025 in New York City)
asylum claims. Ethical lawyers do
not file fraudulent cases. Represent- ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ing the vulnerable is not a threat to Cyrus D. Mehta, a graduate of Cambridge University and Columbia Law School, is the Managing Partner of Cyrus D. Mehta & Part-
America—it is a reflection of Amer- ners PLLC in New York City. Mr. Mehta is a member of AILA’s Administrative Litigation Task Force; AILA’s EB-5 Committee; former
ica at its best.
chair of AILA’s Ethics Committee; special counsel on immigration matters to the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, Appellate Di-
The Path Forward vision, First Department, New York; member of the ABA Commission on Immigration; board member of Volunteers for Legal Services
and board member of New York Immigration Coalition. Mr. Mehta is the former chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Im-
e must vote out politicians migration Council and former chair of the Committee on Immigration and Nationality Law of the New York City Bar Association. He
who fear-monger on immi- is a frequent speaker and writer on various immigration-related issues, including on ethics, and is also an adjunct professor of law at
Wgration and lack the cour- Brooklyn Law School, where he teaches a course entitled Immigration and Work. Mr. Mehta received the AILA 2018 Edith Lowenstein
age to reform the system. We need a Memorial Award for advancing the practice of immigration law and the AILA 2011 Michael Maggio Memorial Award for his outstand-
rational immigration framework with
more legal pathways to unite families ing efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field. He has also received two AILA Presidential Commendations
and allow people to work in the US. in 2010 and 2016. Mr. Mehta is ranked among the most highly regarded lawyers in North America by Who’s Who Legal – Corporate
We must reject the false narra- Immigration Law 2019 and is also ranked in Chambers USA and Chambers Global 2019 in immigration law, among other rankings.

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