Marco T. Torres - Attorney
From a young age, Marco understood the unique challenges facing minorities and immigrants in the United States. Marco’s Honduran parents emigrated first to Puerto Rico for work opportunities, which is where Marco was born. The family then relocated to Los Angeles where they joined countless other immigrant families making their way in the United States.
As he grew up, Marco knew he wanted to become an advocate for the vulnerable and for the rights of immigrants in the United States. His personal background led Marco to a career fighting for the rights of individuals as an immigration and criminal defense attorney.
Marco began his career in South Carolina as Public Defender handling a large and diverse case load that included every level of criminal offenses from misdemeanor assault cases to serious drug trafficking offenses. After serving as a Public Defender and then as a litigator in private practice, Marco founded the Torres Law Firm in 2005 with the aim of offering quality immigration and criminal defense services to a diverse group of individuals, including the growing Spanish speaking community in South Carolina. In 2010, Marco was honored that his wife, attorney Claire Xidis Torres, agreed to join his growing practice and they enjoy working on challenging cases together.
Today, Marco handles all aspects of immigration law including family-based petitions, defending clients in deportation proceedings, assisting clients through the green card and citizenship process, and various other humanitarian immigration benefits including U visas and VAWA applications. In addition, Marco maintains an active criminal defense practice, providing advice and guidance to those accused of crimes from the municipal to federal level.
Assisting the community is an important value of both Marco and the Torres Law Firm, which is why Marco regularly gives talks and presentations to local church groups, community organizations, and various state professional associations. Marco is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He is licensed to practice law in South Carolina and Washington D.C. and is able to practice criminal law throughout the State of South Carolina and federal immigration law in any jurisdiction in the United States. Marco is fluent in Spanish.
Claire Xidis Torres - Attorney
Charleston Immigration Attorney Claire Xidis Torres enjoys advocating for her clients and helping to make their immigration applications as smooth and successful as possible. From spouse applications to complex waiver applications and deportation defense, Claire ensures that her clients learn about and understand the immigration laws applicable to their situations. Claire likes getting to know her clients and their families, and meeting with clients one on one to develop strategies to work towards their immigration goals. Her hope is to make the immigration process less stressful for her clients.
Claire regularly handles family-based petitions, consular processing, fiancé visas, U Visa applications, waiver applications, military parole in place applications, citizenship applications and DACA and Green Card renewal applications. Claire frequently attends interviews with her clients at the USCIS Charleston Field Office. She also handles immigration bond motions and deportation defense cases in the Immigration Courts.
Claire and Marco met while attending law school at American University in Washington, D.C., where they both graduated in 2001. They married in 2004. After law school, Claire was a judicial law clerk with the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, and then spent seven years as an attorney with Motley Rice, a nationally recognized complex litigation firm. Claire joined her husband, Marco Torres, at the Torres Law Firm in 2010, with immigration law as the focus of her practice. Claire is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA). She licensed to practice law in South Carolina, New York, Washington D.C., and West Virginia and is able to practice federal immigration law in any jurisdiction in the United States.
Sharon Sarmiento - Paralegal
Sharon first joined the Torres Law firm as a Paralegal from 2015-2018. In early 2018 she followed her husband when he was sent to Oklahoma by the US Air Force. She spent her time there starting a family, but also volunteering in the local community such as with the YWCA and as a SARA (sexual abuse response advocate). Sharon also broadened her legal experience in Oklahoma while working for the Garfield County District Attorney's office. Luckily, Sharon's family received their first choice in assignments, and were sent back to the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. She was delighted to be able to rejoin the Torres Law Firm family once again in early 2022.
SaraCrystal Rodriguez - Paralegal
SaraCrystal is originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina Upstate. SaraCrystal is fluent in English and Spanish. After graduation, SaraCrystal worked for several years in the health care industry, including as a health care coordinator for H2A Agricultural Workers in Gaffney, SC. She is also a Certified Medical Interpreter. In 2024, she decided to transition her career towards the legal field to further her goal of helping the Hispanic community. As the daughter of parents who immigrated to the United States from Mexico, she understands the challenges presented by immigrating to the U.S. and she is dedicated to helping others with this process. When she is not assisting with immigration cases, SaraCrystal enjoys her free time trying new foods, international travel, and spending time at the beach.
Mayra Williams - Receptionist/Legal Assistant
Mayra has 15 years of experience working in the medical field and recently transitioned to her current role as a receptionist here at Torres Law Firm. Guided by a heartfelt commitment to help others, Mayra brings empathy and dedication to her work. She speaks Spanish fluently and is proud of her family's immigrant heritage. Her father came to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1970s, and both of her grandfathers participated in the Bracero Program. This background fuels her dedication to supporting families in their immigration journey.
During her free time, Mayra is committed to practicing her faith and managing her marketing agency that she co-owns. Mayra also enjoys traveling, exploring diverse cultural cuisines, and spending quality time with her husband and friends.
