ERIKA MUNERA LEMUS

Expertise in Legal Immigration Processes

Immigration Court (EOIR)

• Oversight and preparation of motions to reopen, terminate, request bond, and change venue
• Coordination and support for master and individual hearings in collaboration with attorneys
• Case strategy support for cancellation of removal under INA § 240A(b) (42B cases)

Humanitarian Relief

• Management of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases, including dependency and custody proceedings in state courts
• Extensive experience with VAWA and U Visa petitions, including certification requests and trauma-based evidence gathering
• Preparation of Military Parole in Place (MILPIP) petitions for family members of military personnel

Family-Based Immigration & Adjustment of Status

• Handling of family petitions with and without waivers (I-601A)
• Met with clients to gather information, prepare documentation, and determine necessary actions.
• Adjustment of status (AOS) applications across various categories
• Full coordination of consular process, including NVC submissions and interview preparation

Naturalization and Citizenship

• Preparation and review of N-400 applications, including complex cases
• Experience with N-648 medical disability waivers and supporting documentation

Employment-Based Immigration

• Support with Labor Certification (PERM) recruitment process and documentation
• Preparation of EB-2 NIW petitions, including evidence compilation and letters of support

FOIAs and Agency Liaison

• FOIA submissions to USCIS, EOIR, CBP, FBI, and other government entities
• Resolution of case delays and issues through inquiries to the USCIS Ombudsman, NVC, and via eTools

Routine Immigration Procedures

• Renewal applications for DACA, green cards, work permits, advance parole, and humanitarian parole
• Requests for correction of records, document replacement, and address updates

Key Skills & Leadership

• Leadership in client communication and case management
• Translation and legal adaptation of personal and official documents
• Drafting of hardship letters, affidavits, support statements, and cover letters
• Organization and quality control of complete immigration packets

• Represented and advised clients in fiscal liability processes
• Founded the company to provide guidance and defense in fiscal liability investigations
• Provided legal advice on international economic matters
• Operating virtually

• Provided legal support in international trade and import/export regulations
• Advised state agencies on human rights and international environmental regulations
• Offered legal advice on international economic matters, including commercial agreements and foreign investments

• Led the fiscal responsibility area, advising clients in fiscal liability processes
• Delivered training to improve departmental functions
• Supported the establishment of the Fiscal Responsibility Area

• Provide legal advice to the Local Mayor on decision-making processes, ensuring compliance with specific regulations and harmonizing the functions and objectives of each department and contractor for efficient operations and goal achievement
• Advise the Mayor on requirements from control entities, particularly the Comptroller's Office, regarding various projects to minimize or avoid future findings and fiscal liability processes
• Supervise contracts and provide support in goal achievement for contractors and officials within the Local Mayor's Office
• Assist in reviewing and approving documents requiring the Mayor's signature, considering the large number of employees and contractors within the organization
• Facilitated the closure of long-pending cases and successfully shut down illegal establishments that had been evading the law with the support of corrupt officials, working collaboratively with the Police, Fire Department, and legal team to address citizen complaints

• Support the legal department of the Local Mayor's Office in strengthening the organization by providing useful parameters for responding to control entities and other requirements
• Review files related to commercial establishments and urban planning infractions in accordance with the law and ensure compliance with the Police Code
• Lead inspections of commercial establishments to verify compliance with licensing requirements, including copyright payments and other regulations
• Conduct operations on the streets of Bogotá to ensure vendors have proper authorization and provide legal guidance for compliance
• Conduct numerous processes to verify compliance with construction permits and impose penalties or order the demolition of illegal structures
• Streamlined the legal department by efficiently processing a significant number of cases, making the Local Mayor's Office one of the top-performing municipalities in terms of legal operations during my tenure

• Lead investigations, audits, and high-impact controls nationwide related to royalty resources in various entities subject to fiscal control, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and safeguarding the proper use of public funds
• Conduct controls in sectors such as infrastructure, mining, hydrocarbons, health, education, and water and sanitation
• Define high-impact processes for public and private sectors, handle administrative proceedings, and coordinate visits to different regions to verify processes, territorial contexts, and coordination with territorial management
• Focus on identifying internal control deficiencies within entities that led to financial losses for the government, taking appropriate legal action
• Investigations covered contractual obligations, such as civil works and food contracts, requiring visits to different parts of the country
• Cases concluded with financial sanctions and disqualification from contracting with the Colombian Government
• Demonstrated exceptional performance by supporting other teams facing expiring deadlines for several processes, preventing the loss of public funds by imposing appropriate penalties within legal timeframes

• Conduct investigations, audits, and controls in various entities nationwide subject to fiscal control, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and promoting the proper use of public resources
• Handle numerous fiscal liability processes, from initial inquiries to process initiation, imputation or dismissal, and fiscal responsibility verdicts
• Conduct visits to public and private entities under investigation to determine their fiscal responsibility
• Efficiently process cases, significantly reducing backlog and preventing further financial losses to the nation

• Provide comprehensive legal support for both private and public sectors, focusing on labor and administrative law
• Assist senior lawyers in representing and defending the interests of clients in various legal matters
• Handle procedures related to inheritance or successions
• Draft legal documents such as lawsuits, responses to interrogatories, and petitions under the guidance of senior lawyers
• Monitor the status of cases before courts, tribunals, and other organizations

• Review and analyze the records and biographical profiles of inmates to maintain up-to-date legal information
• Provide legal support to the disciplinary investigations office for internal investigations involving inmates
• During my legal internship at this women's prison, I was responsible for reviewing and calculating sentence reductions based on conduct, work, and educational achievements within the prison
• I also verified if the inmates had any pending arrest warrants and facilitated their release or conditional freedom upon completion of their sentences
• Issued certifications for sentence reductions and submitted requests to the sentencing judge for the corresponding sentence reductions
• Legal Practices, Prior to the Degree