Tracie L. Morgan Esq. - Atlanta, GA

Hello! My name is Tracie and I started Hope Immigration in October 2012. You might have known me or the firm by my former last name, Klinke, but in April 2023 I got married and became Tracie L. Morgan. I wanted to create a law firm that not just handled immigration law, but was also about building relationships, making our clients feel seen and loved.

I grew up just outside of Wichita, Kansas and moved to Atlanta in 2004. My childhood was impacted by immigration - my mom was married to an undocumented man from Mexico and I remember watching them go through that process while I was in middle school. When I was a senior in high school, my dad and step-mom adopted my sister from Russia.

While at college at the University of Kansas, I worked in the International Student and Scholar Office. Soon, most of my best friends had accents. I loved getting to know about other cultures, other ways of thinking, and it also helped me to appreciate the blessings I had as a U.S. citizen. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in English, but went on to become the very first graduate of the International Studies Master’s Program at KU. My master’s thesis was on the impact of international students on campus.

After returning from six months of teaching ESL in Poland, I moved to Atlanta to begin working at Kaplan Test Prep as their International Student Advisor. Students would ask me what to do if they got married or what to do if they received a speeding ticket. I told them to talk with an attorney - and I told them that so often that I decided to become an immigration attorney myself! I enrolled at the College of Law at Georgia State University in the fall of 2005. I graduated with honors in 2008.

While in law school, I worked for a solo immigration law practitioner in Duluth, Georgia. He taught me about integrity and also to not be afraid of complex issues. I worked with him after graduating, but after five years, I realized that my passion was for working with a slightly different type of client than he focused on. I opened my own firm in Marietta.

Since opening Hope Immigration, I’ve had the opportunity to present and educate lawyers and non-lawyers on humanitarian options for immigration relief - most notably for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. I also love unraveling complicated USCIS issues and helping people get the immigration benefit that they are entitled to. Listening to cries of joy and watching the biggest smiles emerge when someone realizes they no longer have to worry about immigration is just about the most rewarding and incredible of experiences.

I’m driven by Jesus’s command to us to welcome the stranger. Matthew 25:35. We are called to treat one another with dignity, compassion, and kindness. Every day, I do my best to remember this and keep this at the core of what we do here at Hope Immigration.

My husband and I are involved with a new church in Smyrna, Water Stone Church. Our dogs, Rita and Lena, are both rescue dogs who keep us sane and smiling with their goofiness. I love to travel, do crossword puzzles, play trivia, and cheer for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Education and Early Career

Tracie went to the University of Kansas and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English with a Minor in Atmosphere Science and Master’s degree in International Studies with an emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. While a graduate student, she worked in the International Student and Scholar Services Office where she developed a passion for assisting non-United States citizens and learning more about their diverse backgrounds.

In 2003, Tracie moved to Lodz, Poland where she experienced immigration from a new perspective. When she returned to Kansas, she knew the world had more to offer. In 2004, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she grew an English as a Foreign Language program from 20 students to over 200 in a few short years.

As an international student advisor, Tracie was often asked by her students what to do whenever they got married or had a run-in with the police. She always told her students to seek the advice of an immigration attorney. After saying this many times, she decided it was time to become an immigration attorney herself. She enrolled at Georgia State University’s College of Law in 2005.

In law school, Tracie served as President of the Immigration Law Society and also served as Legislative Assistant Editor for the Law Review. She participated in two study abroad programs – one based in Linz, Austria, and the other in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After graduating cum laude from Georgia State in the fall of 2008, Tracie began working for a private immigration law practitioner in Duluth, Georgia.

Legal Career

Over the last ten years, Tracie has established herself as an expert in family and humanitarian based immigration law. In addition to her work, she enjoys giving back to the community through service and leadership opportunities. She has traveled to Tijuana to volunteer with asylum-seekers, assisted at DACA and Citizenship Day drives, and has given numerous know-your-rights presentations to communities throughout the state.

Tracie Serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN), and on the Board of Directors for Karibu Community Legacy, The Immigration Coalition, and for The Clinic at Sharma-Crawford Attorneys at Law, LLC. She has previously served on the Board for Caminar Latino. She is highly involved in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has spoken at conferences around the world on topics such as Asylum, Best Practices Before USCIS, the Child Status Protection Act, Immigrant Victims of Violence, J-1 Visas, Practice Management, and VAWA.

Tracie is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, AILA, and the Cobb County Bar Association. She is licensed to practice in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, as well as before the United States Supreme Court.