Luis Cortes Romero

As the managing partner in Novo Legal Group's Washington Office, Luis Cortes Romero focuses exclusively on immigration litigation. With extensive experience in trial and appellate cases, Luis has tackled a wide variety of immigration-related matters, including constitutional issues, immigration detention challenges, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and waivers of inadmissibility. His expertise extends to high-profile constitutional litigation involving equal protection and due process claims, as well as representation in governmental investigations.

A DACA recipient himself, Luis made a significant impact as co-counsel in the landmark case DHS v. Regents of the University of California, which led the US Supreme Court to strike down the Trump administration's decision to end DACA. In addition to his legal practice, Luis serves as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School and a board member of the National Immigration Project.

At Novo Legal Group, Luis remains committed to impact litigation and passionately advocates for expanding immigrant rights and protections across the United States.

Activities & Affiliations

Bar Admissions

Education

Presentations

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO| MAY 2022, University commencement speaker.
BLUE SKY DEI SUMMIT | OCT 2020, Panel discussion on activism and ligation.
PUBLIC RIGHTS PROJECT | SEPT 2020, Panel discussion on creative lawyering to incoming legal fellows.
UNIVERSITY OF IRVINE SCHOOL OF LAW | SEPT 2020, Panel discussion on civil rights litigation under the Trump Administration.
MEXICAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION | JULY 2020, Presentation about the impact of Dep't of Homeland Sec. v. Regents of the Univ. of California in the Administrative Procedure Act and Equal Protection Doctrines.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY | FEBRUARY 2020, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COLLEGE OF LAW | FEBRUARY 2020, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO | FEBRUARY 2020, Presentation about Activism, Civil Disobedience, and its Impact and Role in Law.
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | FEBRUARY 2020, Presentation about Activism, Civil Disobedience, and its Impact and Role in Law.
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | FEBRUARY 2020, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | NOVEMBER 2019, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
SOUTH DAKOTA BAR ASSOCIATION | APRIL 2018, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE COLLEGE OF LAW | MARCH 2018, Presentation about the National DACA Litigation and Its Impact in Immigration Law and Policy.
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COLLEGE OF LAW | FEBRUARY 2018, Presented “The Attempt to Trump DACA: The Constitutional and Administrative Limits of President Trump’s Rescission of DACA.”
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | OCTOBER 2017, Keynote Speaker and Presenter at “UndocuQueer” National Conference. Presented about the legal pitfalls that surround LGBT asylum jurisprudence.
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEPTEMBER 2017, Presented a CLE titled “Immigration Detention: Length of Detention, Bonds, and Triggers to Civil Mandatory Detention.”
AILA WASHINGTON CHAPTER | APRIL 2017, Presented a CLE on working with difficult immigration judges in a detained docket setting.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LAW AND SOCIETY ASSOCIATION | JUNE 2013, Presented “From Undocumented to DACAmented: How the Law has shaped Theory and Practice around Undocumented Students' Lives, Activism and Post-Graduate Experience.”
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | APRIL 2013, Presented about the legal disadvantages of a militarized border with the United States and Mexico.
SEQUOIA HIGH SCHOOL DREAM CONFERENCE | MARCH 2013, Keynote speaker for the annual conference.

Media Appearances

Recent Representative Cases

QUEBRADO CANTOR v. GARLAND,
17 F.4th 869 (9th Cir. 2021)

The Ninth Circuit unanimously recognized that a final order of removal was not one of two statutory bases for invoking “stop-time” rule, and that a notice to appear for removal hearing that did not contain date and location of hearing was not notice to appear that triggered “stop-time” rule. Oral arguments were presented in this case.

NOLASCO-AMAYA v. GARLAND, 14 F.4th 1007 (9th Cir. 2021)

The Ninth Circuit recognized that the Petitioner’s constitutional rights were violated when the Board of Immigration Appeals summarily dismissed her appeal, especially considering her status as a pro se litigant.

RODRIGUEZ CASILLAS V. GARLAND, 858 F. App'x 214 (9th Cir. 2021)

The Ninth Circuit unanimously vacated the denial of an asylum application for an applicant who was previously persecuted on account of his LGBT status.

MEDINA v. UNITED STATES DEP'T OF HOMELAND SEC. Case No.: C17-218-RSM-JPD (District Court for the Western District of WA)

Recognized as the first Dreamer and DACA recipient detained under President Trump’s administration, this lawsuit challenges DHS’ rescission of Mr. Ramirez Medina’s DACA as a constitutional due process violation. Co-counseled with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky from UC Berkeley School of Law School, Professor Lawrence H. Tribe of Harvard Law School, Theodore Boutrous and Ethan Dettmer of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel.

DEP'T OF HOMELAND SEC. v. REGENTS OF THE UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA 140 S. Ct. 1891 (2020)

Counsel for the Garcia el al. v. Trump case (consolidated with Dep't of Homeland Sec. v. Regents of the Univ. of California) that challenged the rescission of DACA on behalf of six DACA recipients, and the case is responsible for the national preliminary injunction that permitted the DACA to continue to operate. Co-counseled with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky from UC Berkeley School of Law School, Professor Lawrence H. Tribe of Harvard Law School, Theodore Boutrous and Ethan Dettmer from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel.

MOTURI v. ASHER
No. C19-2023 RSM-BAT (W.D. Wash. Apr. 30, 2020)

This case challenged the civil detention for an immunocompromised client held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-counseled Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Erin Hall.

BULGIN v. BARR No. 19-71419, 2020 WL 3265020 (9th Cir. June 17, 2020)

The Ninth Circuit reversed the Board of Immigration Appeals’ determination that Petitioner would not be tortured if returned to Jamaica. The Ninth Circuit held that the BIA evaluated the legal standard too narrowly and that the evidence in the record compelled a conclusion that Petitioner is likely to be tortured if deported. Oral arguments were presented in this case.

UZODINMA v. BARR 951 F.3d 960 (8th Cir. 2020)

Petitioner presented a case of first impression to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit regarding whether, as a matter of law, the Immigration Judge is required to grant a continuance to obtain corroborating evidence, and whether the Board of Immigration Appeals can raise the issue at first instance. The Eighth Circuit denied the Petition for Review, and furthered a circuit split in a legal issue that is ripe for a petition for writ of certiorari. This case was co-counseled with the University of Minnesota School of Law Immigration Clinic. Oral arguments were presented by students in this case.

J.P. et. al. v. SESSIONS
2019 WL 6723686 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 5, 2019)

In a groundbreaking 50-page order, U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt has ordered the federal government to provide immediate mental health screenings and treatment to thousands of immigrant families who were traumatized by the Trump Administration’s disastrous family separation policy. The order is the result of a class-action lawsuit brought by three refugee mothers who were separated from their children after crossing the U.S. border seeking asylum. The case was co-counseled with Sidley Austin LLP and Public Counsel.

EMAMI ET AL v. NIELSEN ET AL
3:18-cv-01587 (District Court for the Northern District of CA)

Class action lawsuit filed on behalf of nationals Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen that are being arbitrarily and capriciously denied the ability to apply for visa waivers against Executive Order 13769 (“travel ban”).

IN RE UNITED STATES 138 S. Ct. 443 (2017)

U.S. Supreme Court review of Trump v. United States Dist. of N. Cal (In RE United States) challenging the incomplete administrative record submitted by the Department of Justice regarding the rescission of DACA. Co-counseled with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky from UC Berkeley School of Law School, Professor Lawrence H. Tribe of Harvard Law School, Theodore Boutrous and Ethan Dettmer from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel.

GONZALEZ v. ASHER C15-1778-MJP-BAT (W.D. Wash. Feb. 16, 2016), adopted by 2016 WL 865351 (W.D. Wash. Mar. 7, 2016)

District Court granted petition for habeas corpus against ICE and EOIR for failure to provide Mr. Gonzalez a bond hearing. This case is cited in the national injunction decision in Banos v. Asher C16-1454-JLR-BAT that allowed for bond hearings for a specific class detained individuals, the ACLU “Practice Advisory Prolonged Detention Challenges After Jennings v. Rodriguez,” and Arizona District Court Decision Guardado-Quevara v. Lynch, CV 16-00800-PHX-PGR (JZB).