Attorneys, advocates warn about scams targeting immigrants
DELMARVA – Local immigration lawyers and advocates are warning that scams targeting immigrants could become more common now that President Joe Biden is working on immigration reform. “There is a lot of misinformation and people want to trust others that seem to be more knowledgeable about it,” said Co-coordinator of the Safe Communities Coalition Erika Gutierrez.
Gutierrez says no matter the price tag, the scams make a big impact on individuals and the community as a whole. “It’s the money for your kids, it’s the money for your food, and right now in this crisis we have to be mindful of where we put our resources,” said Gutierrez.
Eduardo Gonzalez is an immigration lawyer in Salisbury – and says for him – it’s sometimes very obvious when immigration paperwork is the work of a scammer. “You have these individuals who will say ‘Hey I can help with the process. It’s a really scary process. It’s really hard.’ Then they’ll charge $500 or $1,000,” said Gonzalez.
But Gonzalez says for the ordinary person who is trying to navigate the process in a whole different language, it can be easy to fall victim to a scam. “There’s people who have had their cases ruined. There’s people that have been turned into immigration because these people filed for them and when the case was denied, it was referred to ICE,” said Gonzalez.
Gutierrez says the scams can range from charging money for help filling out paperwork, to promising a green card for an even larger sum of money. “People don’t know and don’t understand, and also just fall into the trap mainly because of the language, and also because of the fear of doing it wrong,” said Gutierrez.
Gutierrez tells 47ABC that language barriers and confusion about American immigration policies make it that much easier for people to get scammed. “It’s just people trying to take advantage of the ignorance of the community. They don’t know about the process and they just trust them. They rely on them and in the end nothing is done,” said Gutierrez.
Gonzalez says many scam victims feel stuck. He says that’s because they feel if they report a scammer, immigration enforcement could come after them if they’re undocumented. “It’s hard to shake out of someone the idea that I could be taken away because I’m trying to do the right thing,” said Gonzalez.
But Gonzalez says reporting scammers could actually help them on their pathway to citizenship. “If you do see something and you are threatened, and you don’t have papers in this country, you can actually get immigration relief by being a victim and by actually coming forward,” said Gonzalez.
Gutierrez says her advice for people who think they might be falling for a scam is to reach out to a trusted organization or lawyer. She also says people should check that information with at least two other sources. Gonzalez tells 47ABC it’s important to double check if someone is really who they say they are. For example, he says an immigration attorney will almost never ask you to meet them at their home or at a coffee shop.
Click here to read this article in Spanish.
