Attorney General Aaron M. Frey and Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition Announce Focus on Protecting Immigrant Communities from Phony Immigration Law Practices
MAINE, June 4 - Back to current news.
June 4, 2024
Attorney Generals Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danna Hayes
Ruben Torres
rtorres@maineimmigrantrights.org
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey and Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Announce Focus on Protecting Immigrant Communities from Phony Immigration Law Practices
PORTLAND– Attorney General Aaron Frey and the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) are unveiling a new resource to warn immigrant communities about the unauthorized practice of immigration law. This announcement follows a kick-off meeting where MIRC, in partnership with member organizations including Hope Acts and In Her Presence, hosted the Attorney General and OAG staff to discuss the effort and preview the resources with over 30 community organizations.
“Immigration law is both complicated and extremely consequential. We are deeply concerned about the ramifications for New Mainers who might be spending hard-earned money on dubious legal advice from people holding themselves out to be experts on these critical issues,” said Attorney General Frey. “We already know of some victims who have faced negative repercussions for legal mistakes made by these scammers.”
The meeting was the culmination of years of effort, which began when a group of service providers and immigration attorneys convened to address the persistent problem of unauthorized individuals providing immigration legal services, often exploiting vulnerable community members for large sums of money or other forms of compensation. Victims frequently discovered that their cases were either not filed, incorrectly filed, or filed with fraudulent information, jeopardizing their immigration status.
“The unlawful practice of law exploits those who are most vulnerable, undermines due process, and harms all our communities. After years of challenging conversations and with many more years of hard work ahead, our Coalition members and the Attorney General are celebrating this crucial first step toward preventing exploitation and further protecting our communities in our state.” said Advocacy, Communications, and Policy Manager for MIRC Ruben Torres
The Attorney General provided an in-depth presentation on immigration law scams, detailing what they entail, why immigrant communities are uniquely susceptible and what options are available to victims. He also highlighted a new grant to incentivize legal experts who want to assist the immigrant community to receive advanced training or accreditation. For more information about the unauthorized practice of immigration law or to report, visit: https://www.maine.gov/ag/immigration/.
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