Federal agencies to combat immigration services scams | IndiaPost

NEW YORK: The US government unveiled recently a multi-agency, nationwide initiative to combat immigration services scams, with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) leading this historic effort.

This initiative targets immigration scams involving the unauthorized practice of immigration law (UPIL), which occurs when legal advice and/or representation regarding immigration matters is provided by an individual who is not an attorney or accredited representative.

?We are dedicated to protecting vulnerable immigrants from those who seek to exploit them,? said US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas. ?Through our sustained outreach, enforcement and education efforts, and our close collaboration with our federal, state and local partners, we will provide the communities we serve with the help needed to combat this pernicious problem.?

This initiative is set upon three pillars ? enforcement, education and continued collaboration -designed to stop UPIL scams and prosecute those who are responsible; educate immigrants about these scams and how to avoid them; and inform immigrants about the legal immigration process and where to find legitimate legal advice and representation.

?This coordinated initiative targets those who prey on immigrant communities by making promises they do not keep and charging for services they are not qualified to provide,? said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. ?We are attacking this problem both through aggressive civil and criminal enforcement and by connecting qualified lawyers with victims who are trying to navigate a complicated immigration system.?

The Department of Justice, through US Attorneys? Offices and the Civil Division?s Office of Consumer Protection Litigation, is investigating and prosecuting dozens of cases against so-called ?notarios.? In the last year, the department has worked with investigators at the FBI, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and USCIS, and with state and local partners, to secure convictions ? with sentences up to eight years in prison and forfeiture and restitution of more than $1.8 million. This is in addition to the many actions at the state and local levels that have been filed against individuals and businesses engaged in immigration services scams.

ICE has also long been pursuing immigration services fraud cases in part through its 18 Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force offices across the country. In a recent case in West Palm Beach, Fla., ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested an individual on May 26, 2011, who had posed as an attorney and processed more than 3,000 fraudulent immigration applications.

?Notarios and other illegal immigration service providers take advantage of unsuspecting immigrants trying to navigate the immigration system,? said ICE Director John Morton. ?ICE will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to combat notario fraud and protect the integrity of the legal immigration system.?

lic and dedicated outreach, we are bolstering our efforts toward growing a force of legitimate legal services providers and getting rid of fraudsters.?

To file a complaint one can visit the FTC?s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

India Post News Service

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Source: http://www.indiapost.com/federal-agencies-to-combat-immigration-services-scams/

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