· Bozeman Daily Chronicle · By Shahid Haque · From the Border Crossing Law Firm media archive.
Replying to a letter that asked what part of "illegal" he did not understand, Shahid argues that immigration cannot be reduced to a catchphrase. People migrate for family, safety, and survival; unlawful presence is generally a civil violation; and labeling the person rather than the conduct erases both legal complexity and humanity.
The exchange distilled a larger Montana political dispute into two letters. Shahid's response became one of the clearest early statements of the language and human-rights principles that continued through the firm's later advocacy.