February
5, 2015
Los
Angeles prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a San Fernando Valley
man accused of practicing immigration law without a license, part of a new
effort to target immigration-related fraud as the federal government prepares
to expand a program that offers work permits to millions of people in the
country illegally.
Jesus
Luna Lozano, 52, has been charged with the unauthorized practice of law and
other violations, City Atty. Mike Feuer said at a news conference Thursday. Feuer
said Lozano unlawfully gave legal advice to two undercover Los Angeles County
investigators who posed as immigrants seeking help with a case.
Lozano,
who could face more than five years in jail if convicted, did not return
several calls seeking comment Thursday.
The
case against Lozano was the result of a new city-county task force formed last
fall after President Obama announced the expansion of his deferred action
program. It will offer temporary work permits and protection from deportation
to millions of immigrants brought to the country as children as well as some
parents of U.S. citizens.
Scams
are on the rise as immigrants prepare to take advantage of the deferred action
programs, Feuer said.
"Over
the years, we've seen it happen again and again," Feuer said. "With
some immigration announcement come the scam artists."
Rigo
Reyes, chief of investigations at the Department of Consumer Affairs, said
there may be as many as 2,500 people unlawfully providing immigration advice in
California, often to the detriment of their clients' cases.
Some
promise to help immigrants get work permits, file asylum claims or apply for
other types of relief without actually doing any work, or doing it improperly,
he said.
Many
claim to be licensed attorneys but are actually state-accredited immigration
consultants, who are permitted only to translate answers on immigration forms.
Others are rogue public notaries who take advantage of the Spanish word for
"notary," which means "lawyer" in some parts of Latin
America.
Lozano
was subject to a permanent injunction for the unlicensed practice of
immigration law in 2003 after a civil lawsuit, Feuer said. Since then, he has
been found in contempt of court on two separate occasions for violating the
injunction, Feuer added.
The
recent investigation began after the county received a complaint that Lozano
had not stopped giving legal advice. Undercover investigators with the
Department of Consumer Affairs visited Lozano's office in Van Nuys in December
and recorded him giving legal advice, Feuer said. Lozano is scheduled to be
arraigned Feb. 27.
Since
Obama's announcement, local, state and federal authorities have launched
education campaigns warning immigrants to consult only those licensed to
provide immigration advice.
In another effort to combat immigration scams, Los Angeles leaders launched a
campaign last week to provide immigrants who are eligible for Obama's deferred
action programs with legitimate legal services.
Mayor
Eric Garcetti said the city has partnered with a philanthropic organization to
try to raise $10 million to help some of the half a million people eligible for
immigration relief in the L.A. area apply for the programs. Much of the money
will be distributed through nonprofits that work with immigrants.
The
deferred action programs aren't the only new opportunities available to many
California immigrants. Beginning in January, immigrants in the county illegally
were allowed to apply for a special state-issued driver's license. According to
the Department of Motor Vehicles, 57,000 such licenses have been issued since
the beginning of the year.
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