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Thomas K. Ragland

Member
fax +1 202.552.2384

Thomas Ragland supports individual and corporate clients in a broad range of immigration matters, including federal court litigation, defense against removal, complex asylum claims, naturalization and citizenship matters, consular processing, challenges to INTERPOL Red Notices, and contesting terrorism- and security-related bars to admission.

Thomas has practiced immigration law for more than 20 years. Prior to joining private practice, Thomas worked for 10 years in the U.S. Department of Justice, joining directly after graduating from law school through the Attorney General’s Honor Program. At DOJ, Thomas represented the government in the Boston Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Civil Division Office of Immigration Litigation. Since leaving the government in 2004, Thomas has devoted himself to guiding individuals and companies through the complex, often overwhelming U.S. immigration system. He brings an unwavering commitment to his clients and a genuine desire to help them achieve their goals and dreams – whether obtaining U.S. citizenship or permanent residence, avoiding deportation, obtaining visas for employees or family members, or challenging agency decisions in federal court. Having worked on both sides of the system, Thomas brings wide-ranging experience and a deep understanding of this country’s immigration laws. He is highly regarded as a top litigator, a creative legal thinker, and a tireless advocate for his clients. Thomas focuses his practice on litigation before the federal courts, immigration courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals as well as representation of clients before the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. consulates abroad. He is a seasoned litigator known for handling complex matters for both individual and corporate clients. He has specific experience in district court and appellate litigation, defense against removal, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, asylum, waivers of inadmissibility, citizenship and permanent residence, complex consular matters, post-conviction relief in federal court, and defense against terrorism- and security-related bars to admission.

Thomas is a frequent writer and speaker on immigration issues. Thomas serves as Member in Charge of the firm’s Washington, DC office.

Education

J.D., cum laude, Boston College Law School, 1994, Editor-in-Chief, Boston College Third World Law Journal, 1993-1994
B.A., with Honors, University of Virginia-Main Campus, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1988, Philosophy

Recognitions

Ranked Chambers Global Guide 2023-2026, Immigration: Business – Band 2

Named among Best Lawyers in America® for Immigration Law by Best Lawyers (2010-2026)

Board of Immigration Appeals Outstanding Performance Awards (1997- 2003)

Board of Immigration Appeals Special Achievement Awards (1998-1999)

Business Immigration Law Firm of the Year – Washington DC, Corporate INTL Magazine Global Award (2018-2021)

Business Immigration Law Firm of the Year – Washington DC, GlobalLawExperts (2018-2020)

Chambers USA (2018-2022), ranked Band 2 in 2023

Edith Lowenstein Award for Excellence in Advancing the Practice of Immigration Law, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (2013)

NLJ Immigration Law Trailblazer (2019)

Named among Washington DC Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2013-2024)

Top Lawyers – Washington DC, The Washingtonian (2009- 2015)

Tier 1 Ranking for Immigration Law – Washington DC, US News and World Report (2017)

The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers (2015 – 2021)

Memberships

American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Immigration Litigation Subcommittee

American Immigration Council, Legal Action Committee, Member, Board of Advisors (2011-present)

American Immigration Lawyers Association (2004-present), Chair, Federal Court Litigation Section (2011-2013); Chair, Litigation Committee, D.C. Chapter (2007-2013); Steering Committee Member, Federal Court Litigation Section (2013-present)

American University Washington College of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law

Bar of the District of Columbia, Co-Chair, International Law Section, Committee on Immigration & Human Rights (2010-2011)

Maryland State Bar Association

Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Member, Advisory Board (2012-present)

National Lawyer’s Guild, National Immigration Project

State Bar Licenses

District of Columbia, Maryland

Court Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
U.S. District Ct., District of Columbia
U.S. District Ct., District of Maryland