Elina Santana

Elina Magaly Santana, Esq., is the Shareholder and Co-founder of Santana Residency Law, P.A. She is licensed to practice in Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She leads the firm’s immigration practice, providing direct representation in interviews, petitions, and removal proceedings.

Attorney Santana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Spanish Literature, graduating with high honors from New York University. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law, where she served as an editor for the Public Interest Law Journal. During her studies, she also interned at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under the Honorable William C. Turnoff.

Attorney Santana’s practice covers family-based and marriage-based residency, naturalization, acquired and derivative citizenship, asylum, cancellation of removal, waivers, and appeals. She has represented detained clients in bond hearings and fear interviews, argued for stays of deportation on humanitarian grounds, and litigated cases nationwide, including courts in Florida, Texas, California, New York, and beyond. She is dedicated to defending immigrants’ rights with strategic advocacy and compassion.

Elina Santana has held leadership roles within the American Immigration Lawyers Association, serving as Chair of the South Florida Chapter and on several national committees, including USCIS case assistance and annual conference planning. She is also a frequent lecturer at immigration law conferences, an organizer of professional mentoring networks, and a board member for the Capital Good Fund. Through her work, she empowers both clients and colleagues while advancing the practice of immigration law.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder and Co-founder, Santana Residency Law, P.A.
• Member, The Florida Bar
• Past Chair, American Immigration Lawyers Association, South Florida Chapter

Licensed State

• Florida

Education

• Boston University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• New York University
  BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature

Awards & Badges