In 2024, U.S. immigration courts saw more than 3.5 million pending cases, according to government data, with only about one in five people in removal proceedings having legal representation when their cases concluded. For many, the absence of counsel can mean the difference between staying with family or facing deportation.
New Frontier Immigration Law, based in Phoenix and Dallas, operates in this context. The firm focuses on family and humanitarian immigration cases, including protections for survivors of domestic violence under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and T visas for survivors of human trafficking. These case types provide a route to safety for individuals who might otherwise have no legal pathway.
“Our clients often believe they have no options,” said founder and CEO Hillary Walsh. “The reality is that the law offers solutions. sometimes in places people least expect, but those solutions are useless if no one helps them find them.”
From Kansas to the Courtroom
Walsh’s path into immigration law began far from the U.S.-Mexico border. Raised in small-town Kansas, she went on to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, multiple federal circuit courts, and immigration courts nationwide. Early in her career, she encountered skepticism about her ability to serve predominantly Spanish-speaking clients without speaking the language. She responded by building a team where cultural and linguistic diversity is central.
By 2019, she had launched New Frontier Immigration Law with a fully remote structure – a rarity for law firms at the time. This allowed her to recruit staff from across the country and handle cases nationwide. Today, the firm employs more than 100 people, the majority women, many identifying as LGBTQ+ and/or Hispanic. This composition has been deliberate, creating a team that can relate to clients’ experiences while navigating a complex legal system.
“People talk about immigration law as if it’s only about documents,” Walsh said. “It’s about lives. Every file on our desk is someone’s future.”
Data, Demand, and Backlogs
The demand for legal services in immigration remains high. In fiscal year 2025 to date, immigration courts recorded over 431,000 new cases, while completing more than 735,000. The Department of Homeland Security has implemented changes to employment-based visa programs such as H-1B and H-2B, creating additional legal needs for both employers and workers.
Backlogs remain a structural issue. The Executive Office for Immigration Review has increased the number of immigration judges to over 600, but the scale of pending cases makes a full clearance by 2030 unlikely without significant reform. This creates sustained demand for representation in removal defense, asylum cases, and appeals.
Against this backdrop, New Frontier’s expansion plans target cities with high immigrant populations: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Houston. These areas have significant numbers of potential clients who may lack access to trauma-informed legal services.
Trauma-Informed Practice in a Legal Setting
Walsh has incorporated trauma-informed practices into the firm’s operations, particularly relevant for clients who are survivors of violence or exploitation. This includes not only legal representation but also referrals to therapy and other support services through the New Frontier Foundation, the firm’s nonprofit arm.
The strategy reflects growing recognition within the legal field that many clients carry experiences affecting how they engage with the justice system. For survivors of trafficking or domestic violence, the process of recounting events can itself be retraumatizing. Lawyers trained to recognize and adapt to these challenges can make the process less harmful while improving the quality of the evidence presented.
A National Conversation on Immigration
Beyond her legal work, Walsh uses public platforms to influence broader discussions on immigration policy. Her TEDx talk, Captives Among Us: How U.S. Immigration Law Perpetuates Domestic Violence, highlighted how certain legal structures can inadvertently trap survivors with their abusers. She draws parallels between her clients’ experiences and systemic shortcomings that could be addressed through legislative reform.
Her long-term goal is to help shift public perception of undocumented immigrants in the United States, moving away from narratives focused solely on legality and toward recognition of their contributions and resilience. “Bryan Stevenson changed how America talks about death row,” Walsh said. “I want to do the same for undocumented immigrants, by telling the stories that rarely get heard.”
Looking Ahead to 2030
The U.S. immigration legal market is projected to continue growing, driven by sustained backlogs, policy changes, and labor market needs. Analysts expect further digitization of court hearings and filings, greater integration of technology in law practices, and ongoing debate over visa allocations and enforcement priorities.
Firms operating in this environment will need both legal skill and adaptability. For Walsh, that means continuing to invest in a national footprint while keeping the firm’s values: Legacy, Innovate, Vested, Excellence at the center of decision-making.
By 2030, she envisions New Frontier as a national thought leader in family and humanitarian-based immigration law, with a measurable impact on both individual cases and the national discourse. Whether that ambition is realized will depend on the interplay of policy shifts, resource allocation in immigration courts, and the ability to sustain a model that prioritizes both legal outcomes and the human beings behind them.