Watson Immigration is exciting to share the following exerpt from Amanda DuBois’ newsletter. Amanda discusses her interview with Tahmina Watson and her upcoming book Unshackled!
Excerpt from Amanda Dubois
“November was . . . a lot.
Originally, we had someone lined up for this month’s Ripple Haven that helped inspire my forthcoming Camille Delaney mystery novel, Unshackled. But, with a Trump 2.0 administration confirmed and thoughts of our democracy weighing heavily on my mind, I was compelled to get my interview with Tahmina Watson in front of you as soon as I could.
(And for those of you curious to learn more about Unshackled, scroll down!)
Tahmina is an immigration lawyer and is driven to bring her knowledge to the people who need it. That is, she’s written 5 books, numerous op-eds (like this most recent one for The Hill), and – given the uncertain future many immigrants face in our country – has been sourced by reporters for the Seattle Times and Bloomberg Law since the election.
When we recorded this interview, the election hadn’t occurred yet. Against the backdrop of a country preparing to vote for its next president, we discussed how Tahmina’s work as an immigration lawyer is its own ripple effect, as she helps change lives for generations. Her clients arrive in the United States following whatever struggle they may have had and they settle down, have their children, and contribute to the economy through their talents and re-established careers.
Here is a link to the interview The Ripple Haven featuring Tahmina Watson (Episode 5)
Photo credit The New York Times
In our conversation, Tahmina helps us better understand how President Trump’s 2017 executive order to ban Muslims was done without due process, and why the ensuing result was pure chaos. During this devastating and confusing time, Tahmina was at the helm as an established immigration lawyer. But she didn’t stop there! Instead, she helped communities organize lawyers, and coordinated legal clinics, which ultimately led her to start a nonprofit, WIDEN.
Short for Washington Immigration Defense Network, WIDEN “funds and facilitates immigration legal services for those in need.” Tahmina is proud that the model her nonprofit uses was able to train 2,000 lawyers across the country within a week of the U.S. announcing its exit in Afghanistan to help humanitarian parole applicants.
She sounds incredible, right? And she absolutely is. Her ripple effect reaches across international borders, and part of her secret in doing so is prioritizing the things that bring her joy, such as bird watching.
It’s a scary time for non-citizens in the U.S. and their families, and President Trump is nothing if unpredictable. My hunch is that Tahmina Watson will once again find herself fighting back using the rule of law. If you are interested in supporting WIDEN through donation or as a volunteer, you can find that information here.
Unshackled Sneak Peek: The separation of families due to immigration status breaks my heart, but we often overlook the heartbreaking reality within our own borders: sixty-eight percent of incarcerated women are mothers separated from their children. When these mothers are imprisoned, their children suffer immensely, often becoming the forgotten victims in a system that rarely accounts for the toll on families.
I wrote Unshackled, the third novel in my Camille Delaney mystery series, to shed light on how our legal systems affect lives in unexpected and deeply personal ways. Available for pre-sale now, all proceeds from the series support social justice organizations, including WIDEN. While we wait for the book’s February 2025 release, you can hear me talk about it on several podcasts, including What We Don’t Know with Dr. Tracy Pearson, Novelist Spotlight, and Women Winning at Writing.
XOXO,
Amanda”