Alexandra Williams is a senior attorney who handles a wide range of immigration matters, including removal defense, appeals, and motions to reopen. She has experience in immigration courts across the country including Arlington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Antonio, El Paso, and Las Vegas. Alexandra has secured favorable outcomes in numerous immigration matters for clients seeking asylum, cancellation of removal, permanent residence, and reopening of prior removal orders. She also frequently takes pro bono work from the Capital Area Immigrant’s Right (CAIR) Coalition, the Southern Poverty Law Center Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI), and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC).
Alexandra’s interest in immigration and human rights law began when she worked with refugees and asylum seekers while studying in Cairo, Egypt during college. She has worked in immigration law since 2015 and has been exclusively practicing in the field as a lawyer since 2019. Prior to working with Murray Osorio, she interned and clerked with Catholic Charities DC, Ayuda, Mil Mujeres, the International Human Rights Law Clinic, and Immigrants First PLLC. Alexandra also oversees the Law Clerk program at Murray Osorio and enjoys mentoring new attorneys.
Representative Matters
- 4th Circuit
- Portillo Flores v. Garland, 2 F.4th 1145 (4th Cir. 2021) – The Fourth Circuit granted a rehearing in front of the entire circuit panel and vacated the lower court decision. This decision established a “child standard” for persecution such that when considering the persecution and unable and unwilling prongs of the asylum analysis, the adjudicator must take into consideration the applicant's age at the time of the events if they were a minor and judge those standards from the perspective of child. A monumental decision that will directly affect and benefit many asylum seekers who suffered harm as a child.
- Board of Immigration Appeals
- Secured a BIA remand for the Ethiopian asylum seeker who had been denied asylum by the Immigration Court
- Successfully obtained reopening of a dismissed appeal at the BIA where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) withheld information that would have strengthened our client’s defense and provide an additional avenue for relief.
- Executive Office for Immigration Review
- Won Cancellation of Removal for Certain Nonlawful Permanent Residents for a Single Salvadoran Woman with a U.S. citizen daughter who was diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
- Won Asylum for a lesbian woman from El Salvador who experienced long-term sexual abuse, harassment, and discrimination on account of her sexuality.
- Won Asylum for a Honduran family who were targeted because of their political opinion.
- Won Asylum for a Cameroonian man who was detained and tortured by security forces for his active participation in the Anglophone movement and Southern Cameroonian National Council.
- Won countless Motions to Reopen removal proceedings for clients who did not receive proper notice of their proceedings, faced exceptional circumstances in missing court appearances, or feared persecution in their home country due to changed country conditions.
Select Speaking Engagements
- Advanced Trial Skills – AILA DC Chapter Conference 2022
Media Appearances
- On a panel interview with TRT World – Are US Republicans weaponizing the immigration debate? - discussing the bussing of undocumented immigrants.
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- 4th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- 2017 American University Washington College of Law, J.D.
- 2009 Wake Forest University, BA in Sociology with Honors
Awards
- Outstanding Clinical Student, Clinical Legal Education Association
Memberships
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Washington, DC Conference Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- National Lawyers’ Guild
Languages
Interesting Fact
Alex is an avid runner and enjoys competing in long distance races and triathlons.
