Federal agencies crack down on immigration scams

Published 16 June 2011

DHS, the Justice Department, and the Federal Trade Commission are joining forces to stop notary publics, or notarios, in the United States from scamming immigrants; last year, the Justice Department working in conjunction with ICE, the FBI and other agencies, prosecuted dozens notarios who falsely pretended to be lawyers and worked on the behalf of immigrants

DHS, the Justice Department, and the Federal Trade Commission are joining forces to stop notary publics, or notarios, in the United States from scamming immigrants.

“Notarios and other illegal immigration service providers take advantage of unsuspecting immigrants trying to navigate the immigration system,” said John Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

To stop these scams, Morton said ICE will work with others “to combat notario fraud and protect the integrity of the legal immigration system,” he said.

Last year, the Justice Department working in conjunction with ICE, the FBI and other agencies, prosecuted dozens notarios who falsely pretended to be lawyers and worked on the behalf of immigrants.

The problem stems from the fact that many immigrants go to notary publics seeking legal assistance because in Mexico and other Latin American countries, notary publics are lawyers. But in the United States, notary publics are not lawyers and have no legal training.

Government efforts to combat fraud also include education programs to help immigrants avoid these scams and let them know where they can seek legitimate legal advice and representation.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said, “We are dedicated to protecting vulnerable immigrants from those who seek to exploit them.”

To help spread the word, the government is launching an advertising campaign on radio, print, billboards, and a new website featuring the slogan “The Wrong Help Can Hurt.”

Immigration lawyers and law enforcement agencies have welcomed the move by the federal government.

Reid Trautz, director of Practice and Professional Center for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said, “We have to tell people these are bloodsuckers who are taking advantage of people and who are vulnerable.”