One thing that makes immigration law a challenge is that it usually starts with an admission of guilt. Yes, I snuck across the border or overstayed my visa or lied about my marriage.

“I give up. I’m sorry. I did something bad but I’m good. Forgive me. Please let me stay,” is how Jawziya Zaman, a former immigration lawyer, put it in a recent essay. “Confession and penance are akin to sacraments in immigration law.”