Shannon Lahuerre-Maingrette

Practice Areas

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette is a Partner at Spar & Bernstein whose practice focuses on asylum law, deportation defense, removal proceedings, federal immigration litigation, humanitarian immigration relief, and criminal immigration matters. She represents individuals facing persecution, detention, removal, and other complex immigration challenges before Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal courts, and U.S. immigration agencies. Her practice includes asylum applications, withholding of removal, Convention Against Torture claims, immigration appeals, waivers, humanitarian relief, family-based immigration, citizenship and naturalization, and immigration consequences of criminal convictions. Shannon is particularly recognized for handling complex deportation defense and federal court litigation matters involving vulnerable immigrant populations.

Career

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette is a Partner at Spar & Bernstein and has devoted more than two decades to the practice of immigration law and immigrant rights advocacy. Prior to joining the firm, she worked at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, now known as Americans for Immigrant Justice, where she represented asylum seekers, refugees, and survivors of human trafficking. During her tenure, she contributed to legislative efforts that strengthened protections for trafficking victims and criminalized human trafficking under Florida law. She later expanded her practice to include deportation defense, federal court litigation, immigration appeals, and humanitarian immigration matters. Throughout her career, Shannon has represented immigrants fleeing persecution from countries including Haiti, Cuba, and China and has become a nationally recognized advocate for immigrants facing removal proceedings and humanitarian crises.

Professional Memberships

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the premier national organization for attorneys practicing immigration and nationality law. She is also a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers, where she previously served on the Diversity Committee. Earlier in her career, she was involved with the Haitian Lawyers Association and the Florida Association of Women Lawyers. Through her participation in these organizations, Shannon remains engaged in developments affecting asylum law, deportation defense, humanitarian immigration relief, federal court litigation, and immigrant rights advocacy. Her professional involvement reflects a longstanding commitment to advancing legal excellence, promoting diversity within the legal profession, and supporting immigrant communities throughout the United States.

Publications

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette is a frequent lecturer, legal educator, and presenter on immigration law, asylum law, removal proceedings, federal court litigation, and humanitarian immigration relief. She has taught numerous Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Lawline, law schools, and bar associations nationwide. She previously served as an Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York School of Professional Studies, where she taught Proceedings in Immigration Court: The Removal Process and Applications. Shannon is regularly invited to provide legal analysis and educational programming on immigration law developments, deportation defense, asylum claims, and federal immigration litigation.

Personal

As both an immigration attorney and immigrant rights advocate, Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette has dedicated her career to protecting vulnerable immigrants and ensuring access to justice. Her work has focused on representing asylum seekers, refugees, survivors of human trafficking, and individuals facing deportation and removal from the United States. She is widely recognized for combining compassionate client advocacy with sophisticated litigation strategies in complex immigration matters. In addition to her legal practice, she has served as a public educator, media commentator, and advocate on issues involving asylum law, humanitarian protections, immigration enforcement, and immigrant rights. Her experience working directly with newly arrived migrants and trafficking survivors has shaped a career centered on protecting those most vulnerable within the immigration system.

Languages Spoken

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette is fluent in English, French, and Haitian Creole.

Clients

Shannon represents asylum seekers, refugees, survivors of human trafficking, individuals facing deportation and removal proceedings, families seeking lawful immigration status, and immigrants pursuing humanitarian protection in the United States. Her clients frequently require representation in complex immigration matters involving asylum, withholding of removal, Convention Against Torture claims, immigration appeals, waivers, federal court litigation, and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. She is particularly known for representing vulnerable individuals facing significant legal and humanitarian challenges.

Work Highlights

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette has built a distinguished career representing clients in asylum proceedings, deportation defense cases, federal immigration litigation, and humanitarian immigration matters. While at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, she worked to protect survivors of human trafficking and assisted in legislative efforts that strengthened anti-trafficking laws in Florida. She has successfully represented asylum seekers fleeing persecution, litigated complex immigration cases in federal court, and defended individuals in removal proceedings nationwide. Shannon has also served as a Legal Consultant for NBC Universal's television series The Village, advising writers and producers on immigration court procedures and immigration law issues. In addition, she currently serves as an Advisory Board Legal Consultant for the Immigrant Research & Advocacy Group in Rockland County, New York.

Industry Sector Expertise

Shannon's practice focuses on asylum law, withholding of removal, Convention Against Torture protection, deportation defense, removal proceedings, federal immigration litigation, immigration appeals, humanitarian immigration relief, criminal immigration matters, and immigrant rights advocacy. She has extensive experience representing clients before Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal district courts, and federal appellate courts in matters involving persecution claims, detention issues, humanitarian protections, and complex litigation arising under U.S. immigration law.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Shannon LaGuerre-Maingrette practices primarily in the area of U.S. federal immigration and nationality law. She represents clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration Courts nationwide, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and federal courts. She is admitted to practice in Florida, before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Eleventh Circuits. Her practice frequently involves federal litigation and appellate advocacy in complex immigration matters.

Experience

Partner, Spar & Bernstein: Represents clients in asylum matters, deportation defense, removal proceedings, federal immigration litigation, immigration appeals, humanitarian immigration relief, and complex immigration court proceedings. Advises individuals, families, and vulnerable populations seeking protection and lawful status in the United States.

Adjunct Professor, City University of New York School of Professional Studies: Taught Proceedings in Immigration Court: The Removal Process and Applications, educating future immigration professionals on removal proceedings, immigration court practice, and immigration relief options.

Advisory Board Legal Consultant, Immigrant Research & Advocacy Group: Provides legal guidance and support on immigration law issues affecting immigrant communities and advocacy initiatives in New York.

Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (now Americans for Immigrant Justice): Represented asylum seekers, trafficking survivors, and newly arrived migrants while advocating for immigrant rights and assisting in legislative efforts to strengthen protections for victims of human trafficking.

Education