Many people who have Immigration Law issues are ripe to be scammed
Today I met with a client, and heard the same story I keep hearing since I began practicing immigration law. The client paid a different attorney thousands of dollars to help him with his immigration case, then the attorney disappeared and nothing ever happened.
These stories are so heartbreaking, and I hear them far too often in the immigrant communities. It saddens me that lawyers take advantage of immigrants, some of our country’s most vulnerable populations.Ways to Protect Yourself with Your Immigration Issue
So what can you do? As an immigrant, it is often hard to know which attorney to trust and who to ask for help. Below are a few tips for finding an immigration attorney:
- Find an attorney who practices and focuses on immigration law. Immigration law is very complex and can change quickly, so you need an attorney who is up-to-date.
- Only a licensed US attorney in good standing or an accredited representative working for a BIA-recognized organization is authorized to provide immigration legal services.
- Do not pay a “notario”, a foreign attorney, or someone who claims they know the US immigration system. These people are not trained in US law and may not understand the complexities of US immigration law. They often cause more harm than good.
- Meet with more than one attorney if you are unsure. It is always safer to get a second or third opinion!
- Find an attorney who is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).