Catherine Ingram Hunstad

My focus

I help clients navigate complex immigration and government compliance matters. I work closely with John Sandweg and our team of former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to handle crises, manage risk, and determine solutions to complex cross-border issues. I have assisted clients with criminal, civil, and regulatory investigations involving various enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

I also help clients through all facets of the immigration process and help clients understand the unique challenges provided by the current U.S. immigration system. Much of my work involving immigration and visa petitions focuses on complex business immigration issues. I have experience advising, preparing, and reviewing various immigration and visa petitions, particularly EB1 and EB2, H1B, L1, and O1 visas, as well as petitions for naturalization. Additionally, I advise clients on the PERM employer-sponsored green card process as well as green card interviews.

My prior experience extends across a variety of areas including the Court of Appeals of Maryland, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, district attorney’s offices, and a strategic advisory and government affairs firm.

As a law clerk at the Court of Appeals of Maryland, I helped draft judicial opinions, analyzed strategic issues, prepared oral arguments, and conducted extensive research. At the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, I worked in the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section. I have experience managing misdemeanors, arraigning cases, reporting case statuses, and conducting sentencing hearings and depositions.

Looking ahead

I have been following the challenges posed by the increasingly unpredictable and challenging U.S. immigration system. While these shifting policies have affected a wide range of individuals and entities, I see unique challenges posed to individuals and companies attempting to transact business across borders. As business contracts, labor, and cross-border collaboration rise to a more global level, it will be critical for individuals and businesses to adapt to new obstacles and compliance obligations to stay competitive in their markets.