Mikaela Devine is an attorney at Binsfeld Law Firm, PLLC, practicing in the area of immigration law. Mikaela represents employers and individuals in their applications for lawful status in the United States.

Mikaela specifically enjoys working with employers on permanent offers of employment (PERMs; I-140s in categories EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3; and adjustment of status or consular processing) and temporary visas (such as H-1Bs, TNs, O-1s), and with individuals on family-based petitions (I-130s), green card applications (I-485s), waivers (I-601, I-601A, I-602, I-212), U visas for victims of crime, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) applications, military parole-in-place, and naturalization applications. For individuals whose cases have been pending with USCIS for longer than normal, Mikaela is licensed to sue USCIS for adjudication of these cases, a lawsuit called a writ of mandamus.

In her practice, Mikaela prioritizes the needs and wishes of each individual or business client and takes great pride in her work. She believes that communication is the bedrock of a successful client-attorney relationship. Mikaela addresses challenging legal problems with detailed analysis and clearly explains the resulting potential solutions to her clients, so they can make confident and informed decisions.

Mikaela’s experience includes success in a wide range of complex cases, such as complicated successor-in-interest PERMs for highly skilled IT professionals; I-601A, I-601, I-602, and I-212 waivers for applicants with inadmissibility issues, such as criminal history, removal or deportation orders, and unlawful presence; and green cards for applicants with U.S. citizen children in the U.S. armed forces.

Mikaela works with a variety of businesses in Minnesota and nationwide, including salons, financial institutions, technology companies, auto repair shops, schools, and startups. Her clients come from countries all around the world, such as Ghana, Mexico, Canada, Honduras, the United Kingdom, El Salvador, Brazil, Philippines, and Tanzania.

Throughout her legal education at the University of Minnesota Law School, Mikaela focused on immigration law. She clerked for the Immigration Court in Minnesota, now located in Fort Snelling, then clerked at two immigration law firms before earning her J.D. cum laude. She has practiced immigration law since graduating from law school.

Outside the office, Mikaela spends time with her husband and two boys, takes photos in her home photography studio, reads novels, and travels.

Education

  • University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. cum laude, 2015
  • Luther College, Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Spanish summa cum laude, 2012

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota State Bar, 2015
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2022

Professional Organizations

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association MN/Dakotas Chapter
    Member, 2014 – present
    Committee Member for the Wellness Committee, 2022 – present
    Presenter at the Upper Midwest Immigration Law Conference, 2022
    Track Manager for the Upper Midwest Immigration Law Conference, 2019 – 2020

Publications

  • Mikaela Devine, Note, Motions to Suppress Evidence in Immigration Proceedings: The Need for a Lenient Egregiousness Standard and Rebellious Lawyering, 99 MINN. L. REV. 313 (Nov. 2014)

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish