Evanston, IL immigration attorney Alen Takhsh talks about his background and experience that prepared him for his current practice. He shares about his personal life shaped by upheaval and resilience that uniquely prepared him to be an effective advocate. Born in 1979 to an Assyrian-Armenian Christian family in Iran, he witnessed the horrors of the Iran–Iraq War, including public violence and executions. In 1989 his family fled as refugees to Germany, where he experienced further turmoil—Neo-Nazi marches, Molotov cocktail attacks, and the fall of the Berlin Wall—while waiting three years for immigration paperwork to be processed.

In 1992 the family was admitted to the United States. The transition was difficult: limited resources, language barriers, and profound culture shock presented significant challenges. Through perseverance and the support of a strong family foundation, he overcame those obstacles and built a life dedicated to helping others.

He says these experiences inform his work every day. Having walked similar paths, he genuinely understands the fears and frustrations of clients facing displacement, injustice, or legal uncertainty. That lived perspective fuels his commitment to serve as a steadfast, empathetic advocate who will zealously represent clients and not abandon them in their time of need.