Marco Balducci

Marco Balducci has spent over 15 years representing clients from around the world in immigration matters, including asylum claims, employment-based visas, and citizenship. As a child of Italian immigrants, he understands the profound impact that legal status has on a family’s future and has built his career on advocating for individuals seeking safety, opportunity, and stability in the United States.

Marco earned his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1999, including a year abroad in Senegal that shaped his perspective on vulnerability and resilience. He then pursued his J.D. at the University of San Francisco School of Law, graduating in 2006. While in law school, he gained valuable experience interning with the public defender’s office in Kotzebue, Alaska, an Inupiaq village north of the Arctic Circle, where he strengthened his commitment to public service.

After passing the bar in 2007, Marco began his legal career with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, serving immigrant communities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He later co-launched a Department of Justice–funded Legal Orientation Program at Louisiana’s largest immigration detention center, providing detainees critical information about their rights and access to pro bono counsel. These early experiences cemented his reputation as a dedicated advocate for vulnerable populations.

Today, as a partner at Pelton & Balducci, Marco Balducci represents clients in asylum, deportation defense, family-based immigration, and employment-based immigration, as well as naturalization cases. He has guided clients through complex matters involving political persecution and long-delayed residency, achieving life-changing results. Active in the New Orleans legal community, Marco views his clients as heroes for their sacrifices and resilience. His practice is built on trust, compassion, and determined advocacy to ensure families can thrive freely in the United States.

Law Office Affiliations

• Founding Partner, Pelton & Balducci Immigration Law
• Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
• Member, NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Former, AILA liaison to the New Orleans Asylum Office
• Former, AILA liaison to the New Orleans Field Office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Former, AILA liaison to the New Orleans Field Office of the United States Customs and Border Protection

Licensed State

• Louisiana

Education

• University of San Francisco School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Georgetown University
  BS in Foreign Service

Awards & Badges