WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- A multi-agency nationwide initiative to fight immigration services scams began Thursday, with several U.S. agencies taking the lead, officials said.
The initiative targets immigration scams involving fake immigration lawyers representing unsuspecting clients on immigration matters, the federal departments and agencies said in a jointly issued release.
"We are dedicated to protecting vulnerable immigrants from those who seek to exploit them," said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 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."
The initiative is based on three principles -- enforcement, education and collaboration -- meant to stop the unauthorized practice of immigration law scams and prosecute those who are responsible; educate immigrants about the scams and how to avoid them; and inform immigrants about the legal immigration process and where to find legitimate legal advice and representation, officials said.
"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 Justice Department's Civil Division. "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."
