Kristen Coffey - Chicago, IL

Kristen Coffey is a Senior Federal Litigation Associate Attorney at Sverdloff Law Group, P.C., where she represents individuals and families in complex immigration matters with a strong focus on removal defense, asylum, detention-based litigation, habeas corpus, bond motions, and mandamus actions. She is known for her meticulous preparation, clear advocacy, and ability to handle high-stakes cases involving unlawful detention, government delay, and due process violations.

Kristen has extensive experience representing detained noncitizens in immigration court and federal court proceedings. Her practice regularly includes habeas corpus petitions challenging unlawful or prolonged immigration detention, aggressive bond motions and custody redetermination requests, and mandamus actions to compel agency adjudication where USCIS or other agencies have unreasonably delayed decisions. Where clients face imminent removal, unlawful detention, or irreparable harm, she assists in pursuing emergency relief in federal court, including temporary restraining orders (TROs) and requests for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief, in coordination with senior litigation counsel.

In addition to detention and federal litigation, Kristen represents clients in affirmative and defensive asylum cases, including preparation for asylum interviews, individual hearings, and merits litigation before the immigration courts. She also practices in family-based immigration, adjustment of status, removal of conditions, and naturalization, providing strategic guidance from initial filings through complex procedural stages.

Kristen’s commitment to immigration law began early. During her undergraduate studies, many of her closest friends came to the United States from around the world on student visas. She witnessed firsthand how rigid immigration rules forced talented individuals to leave the country despite strong ties and long-term plans. That experience, combined with her longstanding interest in other cultures and advocacy, led her to pursue a legal career focused on immigration and humanitarian relief.

She also understands immigration on a personal level. Kristen has guided close family members through the adjustment of status process and removal of conditions, giving her practical insight into how immigration law intersects with major life milestones. That perspective informs her client-centered approach and reinforces her commitment to clear communication and realistic strategy.

Kristen brings a disciplined, litigation-driven mindset to every case. She is particularly skilled at identifying procedural defects, evidentiary gaps, and constitutional issues, and she works closely with senior counsel to build strong records for court review. Her advocacy is grounded in careful legal analysis and a deep understanding of how immigration courts, ICE, USCIS, and federal judges evaluate cases in practice.

Kristen earned her B.A. in International Studies, with a concentration in the Middle East and North Africa, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Indiana, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

Before joining Sverdloff Law Group as a Senior Associate Attorney, Kristen served as Of Counsel at Panyard Holton Immigration, LLC from April 2020 through January 2026. She began her immigration career at The Law Firm of Fatima Johnson, first as a law clerk and later as an associate attorney. She has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) since 2016.

Kristen speaks Spanish and has working proficiency in Arabic. She approaches immigration advocacy with the understanding that legal problems are deeply personal, often implicating freedom, safety, and family unity. Clients value her clarity, diligence, and determined advocacy-particularly in cases where government action, or inaction, has life-altering consequences.