Dayna Wheatley is a skilled and compassionate immigration attorney based in New Orleans. Her firm, Wheatley Immigration Law, LLC, assists clients across the U.S. and around the globe. With more than 20 years of legal experience, Dayna handles all types of complex and difficult immigration cases, including those involving family and employment-based visas, citizenship, deportation defense, asylum, and more.
Dayna was first exposed to immigration practice while working as a judicial extern for the Chicago Immigration Court. She immediately fell in love with the human rights nature of the work and recognized the difference that excellent legal representation made in case outcomes. Since obtaining her law degree in 2003, Dayna Wheatley has worked as a solo practitioner and as an associate attorney in high-paced, high-volume, prestigious immigration law firms. She is experienced in every area of immigration law, representing clients in immigration matters throughout the South and Midwest.
Dayna Wheatley graduated from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2003. During law school, she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and the Phi Delta Phi Honors fraternity and earned a CALI award. She also completed a Master of Arts degree in intercultural studies from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
Dayna maintains active membership in the Federal Bar Association (FBA) and in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), where she served as a liaison between Louisiana members and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. She has a long record of community involvement, volunteer work, and advocacy. Clients praise her excellent communication, integrity, and case success.
In addition to her extensive experience, Dayna understands the U.S. immigration process on a personal level. She was married to an immigrant and sponsored him through the process and has a bi-racial daughter. Dayna also spent two years living in Taiwan, where she did not understand the language. This experience has provided her with a unique and personal understanding of the challenges immigrants face. She draws on this background, as well as her years of legal experience, to provide compassionate and personalized representation for individuals, families, businesses, and religious organizations around the world.
Education
- IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois
- M.A., Intercultural Studies
- Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Members & Affiliations
- Federal Bar Association (FBA)
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- American Bar Association
Awards & Accolades
Notable Cases
- Obtained asylum for the wife and children of an accused war criminal (genocidaire) from Rwanda after a lengthy appeal and remand process
- Obtained withholding of removal for a Burmese refugee woman, despite strong public opinion against her
- Obtained asylum for a woman who was genitally mutilated as a child in Africa
- Obtained asylum for a woman who was tortured for refusing to marry her tribal chief in Africa
- Obtained asylum for a Syrian man who ran for political office in opposition to the ruling regime
- Obtained asylum for a homosexual man who had previously been married to three different women
- Assisted a man in getting a pardon from the governor for his crimes (enabling him to vacate his criminal convictions and avoid deportation) due to very strong evidence of rehabilitation
- Assisted a house church in getting a religious worker visa for an employee
- Obtained a holding on an appeal for a minister who had not yet completed his ordination requirements, reversing a decision by the USCIS
If you need an attorney in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or throughout the surrounding areas, contact Wheatley Immigration Law, LLC at (504) 784-6803 for a consultation.
