Brian S. Weiss Immigration Law Blog on Lawyers.com

U.S. Government to Target Fraudulent Immigration Attorneys

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 by Brian S. Weiss

Alejandro Mayorkas, Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), informed a group of State Attorney Generals in Washington that he wants to work with state governments to crack down on individuals or agencies who are illegally practicing immigration law in the United States. These non-immigration lawyers, some who are known as “notarios,” charge eager and uninformed foreign nationals exorbitant fees to perform various immigration services, such as the filing of green card applications, citizenship applications, asylum applications, etc. The advice provided by these “notarios” is often incorrect and damaging to the legal interests of the clients they purport to serve.

Director Mayorkas stressed to these State Attorney Generals his department’s eagerness to protect vulnerable immigrants and his desire to prosecute individuals who deceive and defraud the immigrant community. In his address, Director Mayorkas also asked that the states take better measures to inform immigrants on how to spot unauthorized immigration practitioners. Seven cities, Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Fresno (California), Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio, will serve as initial test sites for this targeted initiative.

As an immigration lawyer in New York City, I often consult with clients who have been scammed to their detriment by these unscrupulous “notarios.” Many of these individuals have wasted thousands of dollars and precious time for cases with no chance of approval under our immigration laws. It’s good to see the USCIS Director taking a hard-line approach to try and crack down on the unauthorized practice of law. It is far too rampant within our immigration system, and far too destructive.

This article has been provided courtesy of the NY immigration lawyers at Garganigo, Goldsmith & Weiss, (646) 233-2774, www.ggw.com.

Posted at 17:30 PM
Topic: Immigration
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