E-Verify is a U.S. government database that employers can use to verify the employment eligibility of prospective hires. Both the U.S. government and some states are attempting to make use of this database mandatory against the protests of various immigration, business and other advocacy groups.

One of the key problems with this database is its unacceptable error rate, which results in citizens and non-citizens alike receiving non-confirmation notices. A non-confirmation means the prospective employee effectively cannot start work until he clears his name.

The number of scam artists preying upon immigrants seeking assistance in obtaining legal residence, work authorization, or citizenship has risen dramatically in recent years. Many unscrupulous consultants claim that they are attorneys or that they have close connections to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Others use titles such as notary public or notario to deceive people into believing that they are lawyers. In many Spanish-speaking countries, a notario is an attorney, often possessing more credentials than other lawyers.

In many areas, honest and responsible immigration consultants provide a real service. Unfortunately, there are almost always dishonest consultants, and frequently dishonest attorneys as well. Victims of these scams not only lose large sums of money but also are likely to suffer serious harm to their immigration status.

Many desperate individuals have succumbed to the temptation only to find themselves in a worse predicament: they have not only lost their hard-earned $700 but they have also gotten the attention of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and have become vulnerable to deportation/removal from the U. S.

The scams in Florida and the Bronx are among the two most well-known schemes in recent times. However, every day, certain individuals and entities (notoriously travel agencies and real estate offices) purport to “do immigration”, luring the vulnerable and unsuspecting through expensive trails in quest of the ever elusive green cards.

As immigration enforcement activities increase and the immigration debate across the country continues, misinformation and fear have compelled many to hastily seek legal status. This has created opportunities for unscrupulous immigration service providers to take advantage of people’s hopes and fears, and exact exorbitant fees from immigrants for questionable naturalization and permanent residency schemes. The consequences are often dire and irreversible.

What follows is a sadly common story: An immigrant family with U.S.-born children that has been here over ten years hears about “the ten-year benefit,” which they are told will allow the parents to acquire work permits, a possible first step to legalizing their immigration status. They jump at the chance, and pay thousands of dollars to a notario, which in Latin America implies that the person is a licensed attorney. In the United States a notario means a notary public, who is only authorized to verify signatures and has no legal training. The purported lawyer, or notario, explains that the process is expensive and complicated but that legalization is assured because of the time they have lived here and the citizenship of their children. In some cases, unscrupulous licensed attorneys are also involved in these operations, making the process of finding competent, honest legal services even more difficult for an immigrant consumer.

Fraud directed at legal and undocumented immigrants is a serious problem in Los Angeles County. While immigration fraud can take many forms, it most often occurs as false promises for immigration services that sound too good to be true. By making false promises, con artists attempt to justify excessive “service” fees they demand. Once a victim pays the large sum of money, the con artist refuses to help the individual and often reports the person to the INS as undocumented.

The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division prosecutes businesses engaging in immigration fraud as the law breakers that they are. To that end, the Consumer Protection Division has organized the Los Angeles Immigration Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency law enforcement effort which attacks immigration fraud through the investigation of fraudulent activity, the prosecution of fraud artists, and educational efforts. Those charged with fraudulent immigration practices face severe monetary fines and potential jail sentences.

Related posts:

  1. Victims of Immigration Fraud Although there are believed to be tens or even hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims in the U.S., less than...
  2. Enforcing Immigration Scams If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is one of the first English phrases which...

Tagged with:

Filed under: Immigration Reform

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!