The Immigration Lawyer

Asylum Volume 1

Young Adult - Mystery
72 Pages
Reviewed on 02/23/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Shah Peerally, is a California based attorney practicing immigration law. Shah has seen tremendous growth in his career beginning with humble beginnings to becoming one of the most sought after attorney's in Bay area. More than his professional qualifications, what distinguishes him from other lawyers in this field is his genuine compassion for people and his ability to cut across barriers and make them feel that there is hope for them.
Shah has constantly fought for the rights of immigrants and has tried to help them in various ways possible, whether it is through free legal clinics in churches, mosques or temples or talking to people through his law show on radio. Moreover his background as an immigrant himself makes him identify with the likes of others in similar position as he had been.
Shah thinks he is best defined as 'street smart' and has learnt more on the job than from any course. His genuine concern shows in the way he interacts with people and this has earned him not only respect but love from the immigrant community. In an attempt to educate people and make them aware of their rights and give them a sense of identification, Shah has invested in the Shah films which makes socially conscious films that talk of the problems of immigrants and also provides them solutions to a certain extent.
His dedication for his work have been recognized on various podiums. Today Shah is not only a lawyer, but a civil activist, an author, a radio host and movie producer.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Immigration Lawyer: Asylum (Volume 1) is a young adult legal thriller written by Shah Peerally. Sarah Mustafagic is a young, successful corporate lawyer who decides that she wants to represent people who have immigration and naturalization issues. Her friend, Shah, is an immigration attorney, and he invites her to join his firm. Sarah's first client is Ahmad, a chemical engineer from Iraq who came to the U.S. to visit his family. He is detained at customs and imprisoned in a maximum security facility while U.S. officials determine if he is a threat. Sarah visits him in prison, which is a new and terrifying experience for her. She arranges for Shah to be released from prison and be put into the ankle bracelet program, which places him under house arrest pending the resolution of his case. Sarah learns of Ahmad's past experiences with the brutal government in Iraq and is determined to help him avoid an unjust detainment or a return to his home country.

I am so impressed by The Immigration Lawyer. This legal thriller by Shah Peerally is entertaining and highly inspirational -- and not only for young adults. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to make a difference, especially law students and young lawyers who aren't quite sure about their career plans. Peerally sets out the procedural steps by which Sarah helps Ahmad simply and eloquently, and he makes accessible what has always seemed to me to be a very complicated branch of law. The Immigration Lawyer also explores the all-too-real plight of immigrants in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks who have been the victims of hate-crimes, and it does all this in an entertaining graphic novel format. The Immigration Lawyer is remarkable and a definite must-read.

Faridah Nassozi

The Immigration Lawyer: Asylum by Shah Peerally is fiction story depicting life in post 9/11 America. In a bid to escape the political injustice and the torture he had been subjected to in his country, Ahmad travelled to America to visit his family and hopefully escape the torture back home. Unfortunately, his entry into the 'promised land' did not go past the airport, where he was detained and taken to a maximum security prison. Sarah is a brilliant lawyer who has just left corporate law, looking for something more fulfilling and Ahmed's case could not have landed into the hands of a more dedicated lawyer. Sarah believes her client is innocent, and with the help of a few other people, dedicates herself to making sure he gets the freedom he deserves.

The Immigration Lawyer is a touching story about the life of Muslims in America after the tragic 9/11 attacks. Shah Peerally, through this story of a man's search for freedom and justice, shows how 9/11 changed the way people looked at Muslims, especially in America, forgetting the rule of innocent until proven guilty and replacing it with guilty until proven innocent. The book also tells the stories of the brave men and women who go above their call of duty every day to see that justice prevails. It is a touching story with a brilliant plot, showing a country pushed into an era where the need to ensure national security compromises the requirement to ensure justice for all.

Dr. Oliva Dsouza

The Immigration Lawyer by Shah Peerally details the travails of an immigrant, Ahmad. His home country, Iraq, treats him like a traitor as he is under suspicion for being an American spy. He seeks asylum in the United States of America. But, in the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster, will a young, Muslim youth get what he seeks? Will the seeds of racism, hatred, and suspicion planted by terrorists in the minds of people allow him to live a life of liberty and justice? Is the Department of Homeland Security being overzealous while dealing with non-white immigrants? Ahmad is lucky to find a good lawyer in Sarah. She is willing to go that extra mile to make sure that justice is done and the American judicial system can uphold the values that it stands for.

The Immigration Lawyer is short, precise, and concise. Ahmad is like any other immigrant who is seeking asylum without much knowledge of the strict laws. The book gives wonderful insight into the American judicial system. The fact that there are lawyers who want to help people who are are vulnerable because of their race, religion, color etc is heartening. The book highlights the rights and options available for immigrants seeking asylum and helps to highlight their actual plight and status through the protagonist's story. The attacks on innocents by people who have limited knowledge about different nationalities and religions show how ignorance and hatred actually destroys the fabric of our society. Go ahead, pick up the book. It surely is worth a read.