California Officials Aim to Prevent Fraud Against Immigrants

Secretary of State Alex Padilla is stepping up efforts to prevent fraud in immigration services, warning that residents who are alarmed by recent immigration raids and President Donald Trump's travel ban could wind up exploited by scammers as they seek legal help.

The problem is not new. Thousands of undocumented and lawful residents in the state become victims of unscrupulous actors posing as attorneys every year, according to estimates from immigration advocates.

The secretary of state's website now features a new online portal explaining in Spanish and English that immigration consultants are barred from giving legal advice to clients, as they are not attorneys. These businesses -- also known as notarios in Spanish -- are prohibited from charging for referrals to licensed lawyers.

In Mexico, notarios are licensed to practice law, which leads some immigrants in the United States to trust any legal services they charge for.

Padilla is sending letters to about 1,000 immigration consultants who are registered with his office, reminding them of state law.

"For those who may abuse their responsibilities and the trust of their clients, and violate the law, we will do our part to forward complaints to the attorney general for investigation and prosecution," said Padilla in Los Angeles during a press conference, flanked by immigrant rights advocates.

Victims of scams sometimes end up in deportation proceedings when people posing as lawyers botch applications or never send them in, said Angelica Salas, executive director at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

"The harm is great," said Salas of fraud victims. "They'll spend their hard-earned money, and instead many of them are being picked up by immigration enforcement even though they believed their situation is being solved."

Nasim Khansari, citizenship project director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said immigration fraud happens "every day." This week she heard from a Korean woman who had paid $1,000 for help with her citizenship application. When the woman went back to the business, it was gone, Khansari said.

"All she was given was a phone number, and when she called the number it went to a dead line. So this woman lost her thousand dollars," said Khansari.

Padilla is encouraging consumers to check on the secretary of state's website whether consultants are registered before engaging their services. People who suspect fraud should report the incident to the California Attorney General's Office, he said.