Alma Montes de Oca was born and raised in the Yakima Valley in the State of Washington. Ms. Montes de Oca’s practice has focused on immigration and naturalization law along with federal Indian Law.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Montes de Oca had her own law office in Phoenix, Arizona where she represented immigrant families before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration Courts with a focus on clients applying for permanent residency, U Visas, VAWA, DACA, Advance Parole, naturalization, citizenship, waivers and deportation defense. Ms. Montes de Oca also served as Director of the Asylum Program of Arizona within Catholic Social Services in Tucson, Arizona, where she served undocumented crime victims in southern Arizona. She also represented the Yavapai-Apache Nation as the Chief Prosecutor prior to opening her firm.
Ms. Montes de Oca received her J.D. from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where she where she earned a Certificate of Indian Law from the ASU Indian Legal Program along with her focus on immigration law. She earned a Master of Arts in American Studies from Washington State University, along with her Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Ethnic Studies. Ms. Montes de Oca is licensed in New Mexico, as well as the courts of the Yavapai-Apache Nation and Ak-Chin Indian Community. Ms. Montes de Oca previously served as an expert on trafficking of undocumented victims at the National American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Valle Del Sol and Univision Arizona also recognized her as one of forty Hispanic Leaders Under 40 within Arizona.
Outside of work, Ms. Montes de Oca enjoys spending time with her husband, her stepchildren, and the many members of her extended family. She also dedicates her time to volunteering her time providing pro bono immigration services through numerous community organizations.