Attorney General Bonta to California’s Immigrant Communities: Free or Low-Cost Immigration Legal Help is Available

If you need immigration legal assistance, be careful who you hire

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today again released guidance to help California's immigrant communities find legitimate immigration help and avoid immigration scams by those seeking to take advantage of fear and uncertainty resulting from President Trump's cruel mass detention and deportation campaign. The alert released today provides tools for people looking to hire free or low-cost legal help.

"Before writing a big check and hiring someone offering to help with immigration matters, I urge people to familiarize themselves with existing resources that are often available at little or no cost," said Attorney General Bonta. "In California, we know that immigrants are the backbone of our communities, a driving force behind our economy, and an essential part of our history as a state. Amid the President's destructive immigration agenda, there are people who legitimately want to help our immigrant communities. Californians can find legal help at low or no cost with a legal aid organization at www.lawhelpca.org. If folks are outside of California, they can find help at www.immigrationlawhelp.org."

Access Free and Low-Cost Legal Assistance

Visit Law Help CA or Immigration Law Help to find immigration assistance near you.

Find free immigration help through the U.S. Department of Justice's list of no cost legal service providers and list of accredited representatives.

Protect Yourself from Immigration Scams

If you need help applying for immigration relief, be careful who you hire. Watch out for immigration scams that can cost you thousands of dollars and/or harm your immigration status. Here are some tips and resources to help:

• Confirm that anyone helping you with your case is licensed or accredited. Only lawyers, accredited representatives, and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court. Some immigration consultants may fraudulently call themselves immigration lawyers. If someone claims they are licensed in California or another state and can practice immigration law, confirm they are licensed and in good standing in that particular state by visiting americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/flh-home/flh-lawyer-licensing. If someone claims to be an accredited representative or recognized organization, visit justice.gov/eoir/recognition-accreditation-roster-reports to confirm that information.
• Go to a legitimate legal aid organization for free legal help. Many nonprofit organizations provide free immigration help to low-income individuals. To find a legal aid organization near you, go to lawhelpca.org.
• Keep your original documents in a safe place. Don't give your original documents to anyone unless you see proof that the government requires the original document. Make sure you have a trusted emergency contact who can access these documents. Keep copies of all immigration-related documents, including copies of documents filed with the government and communications with the government, in a safe place.
• Do not give money or personal information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you claiming that there is a problem with your immigration matter. No federal or state agency, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will ever ask for your personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or text. Be skeptical of social media or other ads promising new or quick immigration help.

If You are the Victim of an Immigration Scam

Report it to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report. You can also contact your local District Attorney or county department of consumer affairs.

You can get help from a legitimate legal aid organization at lawhelpca.org.

For more do's and don'ts, see the full "Protecting Yourself from Immigration Scams" consumer alert here. The alert is available in Spanish here.

What is Notario Fraud?

Only lawyers, accredited representatives, and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court. Immigration consultants - who may call themselves immigration experts, notarios, notaries public, or paralegals - cannot do so.

In many Spanish-speaking nations, "notarios" are powerful attorneys with special legal credentials. In the United States, however, notary publics are people authorized by state governments to witness the signing of important documents and are not necessarily authorized to provide legal services. A notario público is not authorized to provide people with any legal services related to immigration.

How to Locate Detained Loved Ones

Try to find your loved one's Alien Registration number (A-Number), which is on their immigration documents. If someone has not previously had contact with immigration authorities or has not applied for an immigration benefit, they will not have an A number but will be assigned one if detained. To find someone in detention, search locator.ice.gov by their A-Number or by their full name and country of birth. Once you identify the detention center, go to ice.gov/detention-facilities for location, visiting, and other information. Using the A-Number, you can look up immigration court hearing information at acis.eoir.justice.gov. For more information, please visit nilc.org/resources.