According to reports, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito recently stated that President-elect Donald Trump's previous proposals regarding the deportation of undocumented immigrants have caused widespread anxiety within New York's immigrant communities. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of people seeking immigration services following Trump's election victory compared to the same period in previous years. Many unscrupulous individuals have taken advantage of this situation, providing services for green card applications or naturalization to undocumented immigrants without holding a law license, in order to defraud them of their money.
Intro. 746, a bill aimed at preventing immigration service fraud, requires immigration assistance service providers to specify in their contracts the language used during the provision of services, the scope of services involved, and the rights enjoyed by consumers. Furthermore, those providing immigration consulting services must be licensed attorneys or immigration experts. The bill also requires the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to report regularly to the City Council and publish data on complaints filed against immigration service agencies.
In fact, immigration fraud cases are common in New York's Chinese community. Most of these cases occur because individuals seek immigration application assistance from unregistered firms, leading to them being defrauded.
Three years ago, an immigration fraud case involving an immigration law firm that shocked the New York Chinese community remains fresh in many people's memories. Although the case has long since concluded, it prompted many immigration law firms to strictly control the authenticity and feasibility of immigration cases. If, after evaluation, the success rate of an immigration application is very low, they will advise the applicant to abandon that path. However, there are still immigration service centers operating in a gray area. The types of cases have shifted from political asylum a few years ago to sham marriages and sham divorces today.
Those so-called immigration agencies often charge clients thousands of dollars to help them fill out very simple forms.
Many Chinese applicants need to find joint sponsors because they cannot meet the income affidavit requirements set by the immigration authorities. At this point, some unlicensed firms take the opportunity to defraud victims under the guise of helping them find a joint sponsor. More seriously, some immigration applicants do not meet the qualifications for U.S. immigration applications, but unlicensed firms, in order to make a profit, often make exaggerated promises to help applicants obtain a green card or naturalization. However, these services are not only impossible to complete but may also be illegal. As a result, victims unknowingly commit fraud against immigration authorities. In serious cases, this may be considered a crime. Consequently, not only is the immigration application put on hold, but their own immigration status is also affected, and they may even face the risk of deportation.
However, whether it is filing complaints or reporting to the police, these are only remedial measures after the fact. Regulating and controlling the immigration service industry at the source is the fundamental way to solve the problem.
