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Anam Petit

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Anam Petit Of Counsel

About

Anam Petit is an experienced immigration attorney and former Immigration Judge who brings a comprehensive understanding of immigration law and procedure to her practice. From 2023 to 2025, she served on the bench at the Annandale Immigration Court, where she presided over complex removal proceedings and adjudicated a wide range of immigration matters with compassion and precision.

Before her judicial appointment, Anam was a Partner at Calderón Seguin PLC in Fairfax, Virginia. Her practice encompassed a broad spectrum of immigration matters, including family- and employment-based petitions, waivers of inadmissibility, humanitarian relief, asylum applications, and appellate advocacy. She developed particular expertise in removal defense and in the intersection of immigration and criminal law—regularly advising clients and attorneys on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions and crafting effective defense strategies. Anam has represented detained and non-detained individuals before the Arlington and Baltimore Immigration Courts, handled affirmative applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and litigated appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Appeals Office, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

In addition to her legal practice, Anam has long been committed to teaching, mentorship, and community engagement. She served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, co-teaching the Women and Immigration Fieldwork Practicum. She frequently engages with the media and presents at professional conferences and trainings for various local and national institutions. During her time in private practice, she also volunteered with and provided pro bono legal services through the American Immigration Lawyers Association, AsylumWorks, Ayuda, CAIR Coalition, Catholic Charities, HIAS, DC Affordable Law Firm, and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center.

Anam earned her Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Political Science with a minor in Hispanic Languages and Literature from The George Washington University. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and speaks Spanish.

Education

  • J.D. - The George Washington University Law School
  • B.A. - The George Washington University

Bar Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Virginia
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Memberships

  • The Round Table of Former Immigration Judges
  • South Asian Bar Association
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Federal Bar Association

Awards/Recognitions

  • Washingtonian Magazine “Washington DC’s Best Lawyers:” 2020, 2021, 2022
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star (Virginia and Washington DC): 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022
  • Best Lawyers: 2022

Speaking Engagements

  • 2025 Federal Action & Local Impact Fellowship, National Press Foundation (2025)
  • “COVID Killed the In-Person Trial Star: Telephonic and Televideo Hearings,” 2023 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law (2023)
  • “In Absentia Motions to Reopen,” National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild 2023 Spring CLE Seminar: All About Motions to Reopen (2023)
  • “What Is Going on with Prosecutorial Discretion and Enforcement Priorities?” 2023 AILA Midwinter Conference & Webcast (2023)
  • “Immigration Consequences of Marijuana,” Catholic Charities Virtual Training (2023)
  • “Asylum – Part II: Affirmative Asylum,” Training for DC Affordable Law Firm Non-Profit (2022)
  • “Litigating Removal Hearings in a ‘Post’-Pandemic World” AILA DC Chapter Fall 2022 Conference (2022)
  • “Pandemic-Era Removal Proceedings: Practical Considerations,” AILA National Roundtable (2022)
  • “May the Fourth be With You: Petitions for Review in Today’s Fourth Circuit,” AILA Carolinas January CLE (2022)
  • “The Biden Administration’s Immigration Policies: A Review,” The George Washington University Law School International and Comparative Law Webinar (2022)
  • “Responding to Inappropriate Immigration Judge Conduct,” Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) Defending Vulnerable Populations Program Webinar (2021)
  • “Updates to Asylum in 2021,” AILA DC Chapter October 2021 Mini CLE Conference (2021)
  • “Advanced Asylum,” Fall Training Session for DC Affordable Law Firm Non-Profit (2021)
  • “Crafting a Winning Direct Exam: Practical Tips and Examples,” AILA Webinar (2021)
  • “Getting the Records,” 2021 AILA Paralegals Virtual Conference (2021)
  • “All But the I-589: Nuts and Bolts for Asylum Seekers and Asylees,” 2021 AILA Asylum Virtual Conference (2021)
  • “Asylum Law Procedure and Litigation Updated,” 2021 Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit & Annual Meeting (2021)
  • “Protecting Refugees in the United States,” AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law” (2021)
  • “Practicing at Arlington and Baltimore Immigration Courts,” AILA DC Chapter Mini Conference (2021)
  • “Asylum – Part II: Affirmative Asylum,” Training for DC Affordable Law Firm Non-Profit (2020)
  • “COVID in Court,” AILA Midsouth Conference (2020)
  • “Immigration in Times of Crisis,” The George Washington University Law School (2020)
  • “Bars to Asylum Training,” DC Par Bro Bono Center (2020)
  • “Criminal and OYFD Bars to Asylum,” Blessinger Legal Training for Attorneys and Staff (2020)
  • “Supporting Asylum Seekers and Asylee Clients During the Current Crisis,” Federal Bar Association Younger Lawyers Division (2020)
  • “Facebook Live Discussion: New Proposed Asylum Rules,” Alight Legal (2020)
  • “Dos and Don’ts of Immigration Practice,” GW Law Immigration Law Seminar (2020)
  • “The Trump Administration Wants to Dismantle Asylum. What’s Next?” AsylumWorks Event at Immigrant Foods (2020)
  • “CFIs & RFIs,” AILA DC Chapter Annual Fall Conference (2019)
  • “Habeas and Prolonged Detention,” Federal Bar Association Immigration Law Conference (2019)
  • “Fraud and Misrepresentation Waivers,” Federal Bar Association Immigration Law Conference (2019)
  • “Criminal Issues in the Immigration Context,” AILA-DC Chapter Annual Fall Conference (2018)
  • “Removal Defenses 101: Understanding the Immigration Deportation (Removal) Process and Forms of Relief,” Virginia Continuing Legal Education (2018)
  • “Pathways to Practice: Trends in Immigration Law,” David A. Clarke School of Law (2018)
  • “Immigration Law I: Particular Social Groups in Asylum Law,” David A. Clarke School of Law (2018)
  • “Advanced Crimmigration: Dissecting Inadmissibility,” FBA Immigration Law Conference (2018)
  • “Advanced Removal: Dissecting the Ground of Removability,” FBA Immigration Law Conference (2018)

Media Appearances

  • "How Trump is shaping the immigration justice system to suit his goals" - EL PAÍS (November 18, 2025)
  • "Inside Donald Trump’s Attack on Immigration Court" - The New Yorker (October 23, 2025)
  • "ICE Courthouse Presence ‘Off-the-Charts Problematic’ for Immigration Judges" -National Press Foundation (October 8, 2025)
  • Mother Jones, “Fired for No Reason”: Former Immigration Judges Speak Out Against Trump’s Assault on the Courts (2025)
  • NBC News Washington, “Immigration judge fired at end of probation period says she worries about due process” (2025)
  • The Baltimore Banner, “Push to clear massive immigration court backlog ends up causing chaos for some Maryland clients, attorneys say” (2022)
  • Live Commentary on TRT World Now, “U.S. and Mexico Returning Thousands of Unaccompanied Children” (2021)
  • The Hill, “Harvard, MIT sue to block Trump Administration from stripping student visas amid pandemic” (2020)
  • The GW Hatchet, “Legal experts explain connection between politics and immigration policy” (2020)
  • Live Commentary on TRT World Now, “The Trump Presidency” (2019)
  • Live Commentary on TRT World Now, U.S. Immigration and Birthright Citizenship (2019)
  • Podcast Guest: “‘Those closest to the pain are closest to the solution’- DNC Detroit Debates, Night 1,” At the Table Podcast (2019)
  • Podcast Guest” “Asylum-Seekers,” Electorette Podcast (2019)
  • Religion News Service, “Escaping Pakistani persecution, Ahmadi Activist finds refuge – and purpose – in US,” RNS: Religion News Service (2017)
  • Think Progress, “A traffic stop just led to this DREAMer’s deportation,” (2017)
  • Mother Jones, “Immigration Lawyers Are Advising Their Undocumented Clients to Stay in the Shadows” (2016)

Publications

  • Harris, Lindsay M and Cartwright, Hannah and Montecinos, Liana and Rahman, Anam, Vicarious Trauma and Ethical Obligations for Attorneys Representing Immigrant Clients: A Call to Build Resilience Among the Immigration Bar, AILA Law Journal/April 2020, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 2

Languages

  • Professional fluency in Spanish

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