What does it actually take to become an American citizen?

We have the context missing from our biggest news stories on immigration.

I'm Jenna, and this is Smarter News.

Immigration is a central part of the Trump administration's first few months in office,

with rapid stories about who's being deported and how and a debate about the approach of law enforcement.

But with all of this news, I found myself wondering, wait, what actually is supposed to happen?

What's the quote unquote right way to do things?

What is actually the law?

And how has that law been enforced or not been enforced?

We have a great guest to provide a foundation on this. Rachel Einbaum practices immigration law

in New York City. And as you'll hear, her personal story has impacted her professional calling.

I started out asking her why she chose immigration law as a career.

Rachel, let's just start with one part of the story.

And that is, how did you become interested in immigration law? Thank you for asking. I always

love being asked this question because I feel that it really came from a place of passion and

interest. So when I was in law school, I didn't know exactly what type of law I wanted

to practice. I knew that I liked civil rights. I knew that I liked human rights. And I knew that I

liked international law. And then I got the opportunity to do an internship at an asylum law firm.

That was my first exposure to immigration law. I fell in love with the field.

I was helping people escape persecution, help them write their story, help them prepare for their

court hearings or their interviews. And it dawned on me. Well, on my mother's side, I am the descendant of Holocaust survivors.

And on my father's side, he immigrated from Argentina in the 1970s.

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