Iowa Immigration Lawyer Suspended After Unauthorized Court Filing
An Iowa immigration attorney filed a motion in federal immigration court while she was still disbarred from practicing there — and the Iowa Supreme Court suspended her license for 30 days in November 2026. Sandra Suarez had only regained her Iowa law license in 2023 after a prior revocation. Her case is a warning for immigrants who hire attorneys without checking their federal authorization status.
Sandra Suarez, a solo immigration and family law practitioner in Windsor Heights, Iowa, had her law license suspended for 30 days by the Iowa Supreme Court on November 13, 2026. The court found she practiced immigration law in federal forums — including before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the immigration courts, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — before she was legally allowed to do so.
What happened in immigration court
In October 2023, a client named Jorge Villeda hired Suarez to handle his immigration case. At that point, Suarez had just gotten her Iowa state license back — but she was still disbarred from federal immigration practice. She filed a motion on Villeda's behalf anyway, without disclosing to the BIA that she lacked authorization. When she later applied for reinstatement to practice before the BIA, she also failed to mention she had already filed that unauthorized motion. Federal disciplinary counsel flagged the omission. The BIA denied her reinstatement in January 2024 and required her to wait at least one year before reapplying. She reapplied in January 2025 and was reinstated to federal immigration practice on February 11, 2025.
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The court also found that Suarez failed a family law client, Joseph Burgett, in a custody dispute. She did not tell him about a scheduled hearing date, did not prepare his affidavit, and did not attend the August 26 hearing. Another attorney from the firm showed up late and submitted no evidence. Suarez then failed to tell Joseph what happened at the hearing. The Iowa Supreme Court agreed with the Grievance Commission that her prior disciplinary history — including a full license revocation in 2018 — made a 30-day suspension the appropriate penalty, even though the new violations alone might have warranted only a public reprimand.
What this means if you have an immigration lawyer
- Ask your attorney directly whether they are authorized to practice before the immigration court, the BIA, and DHS — a state law license does not automatically cover federal immigration forums.
- You can verify an attorney's standing with the BIA by contacting the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) or checking the EOIR's attorney registration system.
- If your attorney misses a hearing or stops communicating, contact the court directly to find out what happened in your case — do not wait for your lawyer to update you.
- If you believe your immigration attorney acted improperly, you can file a complaint with your state's attorney disciplinary board and with EOIR's disciplinary counsel.
Related: our step-by-step guide — “Immigration Court Rulings”.
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State bar reinstatement does not automatically restore an attorney's right to practice in federal immigration forums — those are separate authorizations. If you are in removal proceedings or have a pending immigration court hearing, ask your attorney to show you their EOIR registration number and confirm their BIA standing before they file anything on your behalf. If something feels off — missed deadlines, no updates, unexplained absences — consult a second immigration attorney immediately, because errors in immigration court can have serious consequences for your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a lawyer licensed in my state represent me in immigration court?
Not automatically. Immigration courts and the BIA are federal forums. An attorney must be separately authorized to practice there, even if they hold a valid state law license. Always ask your lawyer to confirm their EOIR registration.
What happens if my immigration attorney files papers without being authorized?
The filing may be rejected or ignored, and your case could be harmed. The attorney can also face disciplinary action — including suspension or disbarment from immigration practice — as happened in this case.
What should I do if my lawyer missed my immigration court hearing?
Contact the immigration court directly to find out what happened. If a hearing took place without you or your attorney, the judge may have issued an order in your absence. You may need a new attorney to file a motion to reopen your case quickly.
How do I check if my immigration lawyer is in good standing?
You can contact the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to verify an attorney's registration status. You can also check your state bar's public records for any disciplinary history.