About Us / Our Team
Zelda Vasquez - managing attorney
Welcome and Thank You for Reading my Bio to Learn About Me!
I became interested in immigration law after watching friends in college try and navigate the United States immigration system, from friends who were stuck in a years-long wait for a green card through their employers after their petitions had been approved to a friend who had married a U.S. citizen but was told she wasn’t eligible for permanent residence. I wanted to help them stay in the United States and become full members of our community. Out of that desire, I became a paralegal to understand the basics of preparing and filing an immigration case; clerked for immigration firms to sharpen my research skills and knowledge; and then became an immigration attorney and worked in all types of immigration attorneys for various firms to gain valuable experience.
MY EXPERIENCE
I am the managing attorney of Zelda Vasquez Law, PLLC. I was born in Oregon, but my family moved all over the United States before settling in the Dallas area when I started fifth grade. After I graduated high school, I attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated Ampla cum Laude with High Honors with a Bachelor’s degree in English and German. After graduation, I was a paralegal for a medium-sized immigration law firm in Houston, where I gained experience working with many different types of clients and cases. I then attended the University of Houston Law Center and was a student attorney at the Immigration Clinic before graduating with a Juris Doctor degree in 2010. While I was in law school I was a law clerk at a large immigration law firm in Houston, and when I graduated and was licensed I was an associate attorney at the second largest immigration law firm in the United States. After a couple of years I moved to Amarillo, Texas and joined Whittenburg Law Firm, where I practiced for over eight years, the last five of which I was the managing attorney for the principal office. I entered private practice and represent individuals, families, and employers from across the United States in immigration cases. I live in Amarillo, Texas with my husband and children.
I am admitted to the Supreme Court of Texas and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In addition, I am a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and am Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
I have also written and edited publications, which helps me keep current on the law and my skills sharp. These include Immigration Law and Procedure: Desk Edition (Matthew Bender), for which I have been an update editor from 2012 to 2024; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Basics of Immigration Law, which I updated along with attorney David Strange from 2017 to 2021 and then in 2022 through 2024 as the principal update editor. I have also written and edited articles and publication regarding court decisions and specific immigration topics, including Mellouli v, Lynch Decision: “You Can’t Be Deported for Possessing Only a Sock”, LexisNexis Emerging Issues Analysis 7334 (June 2015); “Mellouli v. Holder: Removal from the United States for Possession of a Sock?”. LexisNexis Emerging Issues Analysis 7298 (January 2015); Potential Issues Facing Employers When Encountering Individuals Who Received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA),” HResource, HR Houston (November 2012); Ignacio Donoso and Zelda Howell, “Physical Therapist Licensing Requirement,” Immigration Options for Nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals, American Immigration lawyers Association (2d. ed. 2009).
zelda@zvasquezlaw.com
amando vasquez - Paralegal
Learn more about me!
I am a paralegal at Zelda Vasquez Law, PLLC. I was born in Amarillo, Texas and was raised in Amarillo and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I attended Caprock High School and worked in various fields before I started working at Whittenburg Law Firm, where I was a paralegal for over six years in the Immigration Practice Group. I have experience in many different types of immigration cases, including visas, permanent residence through adjustment of status and consular processing, naturalization, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and passport applications. I am fluent in Spanish and live in Amarillo, Texas with my wife and children.
amando@zvasquezlaw.com
Evelyn Rios - Administrative Assistant
Learn more about me!
I am the Administrative Assistant at Zelda Vasquez Law. I answer the phones, schedule appointments and manage the calendar. I also prepare, file, and manage FOIA cases.
I was born in Arkansas but have lived in Borger for most of my life. I graduated from Borger High School and received my Associate’s Degree in Arts from Frank Phillips College.
evelyn@zvasquezlaw.com