A passion for serving the vulnerable became a business model.

Robert W. Armstrong, Jr., an immigration attorney at Armstrong Legal Firm in Texas, was born in Panama and grew up in El Paso. With an American father, Robert didn’t have to navigate the path to U.S. citizenship, which was much different in the 1980s. But, he was very familiar with the immigrant community and empathized with them. Something clicked when he attended an immigration clinic in law school.

Very few safeguards are in place to help unaccompanied children who are treated pretty much like adults in the immigration system, which has been tightening since 1996. The goals of his young clients are simple—primarily to be safe. Some also ask for work permits so they won’t be a burden on their family or society. His primary goal is to help them find a way to legal permanent residency, which can lead to citizenship. If that’s not possible, Robert tries to cancel any deportation proceedings.

While the legal part is crucial to his business, so is connecting with people on a human level. Both have been impacted by COVID-19. Listen to how Robert found creative ways to make up for the lack of face-to-face interactions. As he says, he may not be able to change the world, but he can change somebody’s world.