I send my deepest appreciation to Michael A. Olivas, who inspired me to write this book and who has supported me unconditionally, beginning even before this book project was born. After reviewing my articles on prosecutorial discretion, Professor Olivas encouraged me to reflect on and refine those articles to produce a book. In an all too generous email, Professor Olivas noted, “I am in your debt, more than I even knew, and your work on the various [prosecutorial discretion] issues is inspiring. We are all lucky to have someone as careful and thorough as you doing this kind of work, so we all can learn. I hope you will stitch all these pieces into a book-length manuscript, which would advance the cause and your own work much more than having a series of articles in various places. You are three-fourths of the way there now.”
I am grateful for the support of Leon Wildes, who gave his blessing for this book and who graciously agreed to author the foreword. In particular, I will remember the day Mr. Wildes and I spent together in his New York office and at the Fig & Olive for a long lunch, fully engaged in conversation about John Lennon’s case, the evolution of my book, and the personal events and family that have brought and continue to bring meaning to our lives.
I truly appreciate the support and assistance from Clara Platter, Dorothea S. Halliday, Deborah Gershenowitz, and Constance Grace of New York University Press for managing the editing process that began with a book proposal and ended on a book shelf. I also thank Ediberto Román, general editor of the press’s Citizenship and Migration in the Americas series, for his generous support and the anonymous peer reviewers whose feedback on my proposal and manuscript improved this book.
I am thankful for the past and current mentors who have shaped me professionally. I am grateful to T. Alexander Aleinikoff for accepting me as his research assistant in 1997 and later connecting me to the late Michael A. Maggio, whose passion and commitment to legal excellence were unwavering and life changing. I cannot imagine what kind of lawyer I might be without the years I spent with Maggio Kattar. I value the time I spent at the National Immigration Forum under the leadership of Frank Sharry and the opportunities I had to learn the language of immigration politics and its relationship (or lack thereof) to the law. I thank Phillip J. McConnaughay, former dean of Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, for hiring me in 2008 to start the Center for Immigrants’ Rights and continuously supporting my work as a teacher and scholar.
Stephen H. Legomsky has been a constant mentor whose support and review of my scholarship has always been supportive and thorough. From the first day he engaged me with special generosity. I will especially remember Professor Legomsky’s visit to Penn State and our breakfast at Teaism in Washington, D.C. I appreciate the feedback from professors and scholars on my previous work around immigration prosecutorial discretion, among them Hiroshi Motomura, David A. Martin, Jill Family, and Lenni Benson. I also benefited from the feedback I have received at various workshops including the Immigration Law Teachers Workshop and Clinical Writers’ Workshop.
I am fortunate to have received excellent research assistance from law graduates and students, especially Rachel Lok Keung, Nicole Comstock, Stephen Coccorese, and Sihan Wang. I also appreciate the work of law student editors at Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal, Harvard Latino Law Review, University of New Hampshire Law Review, Texas Law Review, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, and American Immigration Council who worked on previous articles of mine that have developed into this book.
There are not enough cheers for the fearless Margaret Stock, who took on one of the greatest tasks by reviewing my manuscript in draft form—thank you and again. This book is largely improved because of her work. I will not forget receiving thoughtful edits on the very same night she won the MacArthur Fellowship (and on many other occasions) or our quiet dinner in State College the night before she spoke about immigration issues at Penn State Law.
I am grateful to the late Sara Nehman, who left such an impression on my childhood and also taught me to love music and practice wisely.
I am so indebted to my wise and calm husband Hemal, exuberant daughter Devyani, and “cutest toddler” awardee Neelesh for loving and supporting me unconditionally as I practice the art of packing lunches, doing laundry, and playing law professor–lawyer with love and patience (almost) every day. And how fortunate I am to have my twin sister Latha—you are a special gift. Finally, I owe so much to my mother Geetha and father Siva (aka “Dr. Siva”)—everything I accomplish begins with you. I am so fortunate to have you as parents and to have known and loved your own parents.