About Attorney Chris Barnes
Chris represents individuals in need of advice or services to achieve or improve their status in the United States.
Chris meets personally with each client to determine the best course of action to realize their immigration dreams. Chris opened his immigration law office on January 3rd, 2013.
Chris is a native North Carolinian, originally from Wilson and Johnston Counties. In 2004, Chris earned his B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Spanish from UNC Chapel Hill. In 2012, Chris earned his Doctorate of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from the North Carolina Central School of Law in Durham, NC. Chris is an active member of AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers Association), the NC State Bar, and the Orange County Bar and has been practicing law in North Carolina since August of 2012.
Chris serves as Teen Court Judge, which is an opportunity for the youth of Chatham and Orange Counties to avoid a criminal record for first offenses. In 2023, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Chris to the Orange County Board of Social Services, where Chris works closely with the DSS Director to ensure that at-risk and low-income individuals of Orange County receive public services. Chris often consults with local news outlets, radio, law enforcement, schools, churches, and attorneys on current immigration matters that affect the community.
In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time on his farm with family, friends, and animals, including emus, goats, sheep, ducks, and chickens. He also enjoys yardwork, gardening, country music and hunting. Chris plays basketball every week and is passionate about University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill athletics.
Our Team
Debra
Debra Larios Perez is a native of Guatemala and moved to North Carolina in 2002. She joined The Law Office of Chris Barnes as a legal assistant in March of 2021. With over 8 years of customer service experience, she excels at adapting to various communication styles and maintains a professional and empathetic demeanor.
Debra has honed her skills as a legal assistant, officer manager and paralegal during her time at the Law Office of Chris Barnes. Her experience and dedication have made her a respected figure in her profession. She is fluent in English and Spanish. Outside of her career, Debra is deeply committed to her family, valuing the quality time she spends with her loved ones and she is also an avid participant in her church community. She is passionate about soccer and learning new languages.
Additionally, Debra enjoys exploring new dining experiences, always on the lookout for unique and exciting restaurants to try. She enjoys the outdoors, classical music, volunteering at animal shelters and reading. Her vibrant interests and professional accomplishments make her a well-rounded and dynamic individual.
Yerlin
Yerlin Barrientos Lara is a native of El Salvador and moved to North Carolina in 2014. She joined The Law Office of Chris Barnes as receptionist in September 2025. Her responsibilities include scheduling consultations, managing client questionnaires, and outlining the requirements involved in each case. She also answers calls, provides timely updates to clients, processes payments, and handles translations of documents in English and Spanish to ensure clear communication.
Beyond her work at the firm, Yerlin is pursuing a degree in English and Comparative Literature with a minor in Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is deeply engaged in global and community service through her participation in Global Legal Brigades and her leadership in the Community Legal Collaborative, where she currently serves as Vice President. Through these organizations, she has traveled to Honduras to assist families with matters of family law and will travel to Argentina to collaborate with local NGOs on human rights initiatives. Yerlin’s bilingual background, academic foundation, and passion for justice enable her to build meaningful connections with clients and contribute to advancing equitable legal support across communities.
Deborah
Deborah joined the Law Office of Chris Barnes as a paralegal in 2021. She previously worked as an immigration paralegal in Raleigh, NC since 2005. Deborah grew up in northeast Ohio and began her college education at Oberlin College. She later moved to Philadelphia and continued her education at the University of Pennsylvania and finally received her BA from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and while attending was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta.
Deborah continued her education at Strayer University in Raleigh, NC earning an MBA. If it were up to Deborah, she would continue taking courses for the rest of her life. Her focus at the firm is mostly family-based immigration, preparing green card applications, consular processing, U visas, humanitarian parole, vawa, removal of conditions, I-601A waivers, and naturalization.
She understands the emotional dynamics of clients attempting to become eligible to work, acquire permanent resident status and just live their lives without fear of removal in the United States. She tries to bring anxious clients a sense of calm and confidence as they go through the process. When she is not at work, Deborah enjoys exploring historical places, reading, learning languages, listening and playing music but most of all spending time with her children and granddaughter.
Sydney
Sydney Barnes is a native Virginian who has lived in North Carolina since 2023. Sydney is a legal intern, and she aspires to be an immigration attorney. As an honors undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, Sydney studies International Politics, Nation States, and Social Movements in Latin America. She is learning Spanish to better connect with the Hispanic community in the Triangle and beyond.
Sydney has an extensive childcare background that has taught her patience, compassion, and empathy. She approaches each case with these values in mind, representing clients with care. Sydney often helps Chris prepare documents for certification, and she particularly enjoys processing U visas. She helps manage the firm’s caseload to ensure each client receives quality assistance.
In her free time, Sydney wears many hats: she leads student groups in her campus ministry, volunteers for a bilingual community service club, and is committed to diplomatic initiatives. She is a substitute teacher in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District, and she is a coordinator at the local YMCA. Sydney loves reading mystery novels, crocheting, and exercising.
Why Choose Us?
Testimonials
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Maria S.
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Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like more information about your specific case, call, leave a message, or visit us.
PO BOX 9750; Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Monday to Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Friday 8:30 am - 1:00 pm