John Amaya

John Amaya is an experienced attorney and former senior advisor in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

John represents corporations, individuals and foreign governments in connection with global immigration, cross-border investigations, related litigation, and congressional investigations.

John served in the Obama Administration at DHS as the Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There, he managed a broad domestic and international portfolio. John was instrumental in the creation of new operational guidance for worksite immigration enforcement. These policies directly affect businesses and provide guidance for best practices to properly hire and retain a global workforce. John also worked with foreign diplomats and law enforcement to combat and dismantle cross-border trade in violation of federal money laundering, foreign corruption laws, and export controls.

John also served as Counselor to the Director at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In that capacity, he worked on many complex global immigration matters including the national security response to risks associated with the EB-5 immigrant investor program, the administration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and ensuring a fair process for unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in developing policies for, and the administration of, visas for highly skilled workers, people with extraordinary abilities, and foreign investors.