ILRC Announces Major Immigration Fraud Public Awareness Campaign

ILRC is currently engaged in a massive public relations campaign to warn immigrants about immigration fraud. Too often, immigrants fall prey to scam artists that promise them an easy path to legal status only to cheat them out of their hard-earned money and, often, put them at risk of deportation. To combat this problem, ILRC has produced and distributed thousands of graphic novels, or comic books, in English, Spanish and Chinese that warn immigrants about typical immigration fraud scams. If you or your agency are located in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in ordering some of these, CLICK HERE.

ILRC has also produced tri-lingual Bus Signs that have been carried on public transit agencies throughout the Bay Area from March 1 through April 15, 2008.

Service providers who engage in fraudulent practices pose huge problems and risks for immigrants. Unschooled in US law, desperate to be legal, and often afraid to approach traditional authorities, immigrants are often preyed upon by persons holding themselves out to be immigration experts. Often the victimizer is a member of the immigrant's own community. The victim is lulled into a false sense of security because the person he is confiding in speaks his language and can understand his wants and needs. Finally, with much relief, he feels his lack of English skills are not a barrier to being understood.

The following example is taken from a real, and very typical case. Only the names of the persons involved have been changed:

Nicolas Reyes, came to the United States because his parents were already here (through a brother who had married a US citizen and later became a citizen himself) and because he could not make ends meet at home in Mexico. He and his young wife had just had their first child, and things were looking desperate. Nicolas came to the US, and after a year, sent for his wife. He worked hard, starting at odd jobs doing landscaping, and finally landed a job with a trucking company. After 9 years, he had become a full time trucker, was making good money, and had chipped in to buy a house with his brother and his parents. Still, he yearned to be legal in this country.

Through a friend, he heard of a "notario" who was helping people become legal. Since the word "notario" in Spanish means attorney, Nicolas assumed the notario was an attorney. Nicolas and his wife went to meet this man, Don Jose. Don Jose promised them that all would be fine, they would soon get their green cards, and that they should not worry.

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Last Modified: April 04 2008 10:23:05