"Out of options, Garcia, who like others in this piece is using a pseudonym to avoid retaliation, messaged a lawyer on WhatsApp he heard about from fellow bike messengers. The attorney agreed to take his case, so Garcia wired the first payment: $3,200 through a Western Union transfer. He promised to pay the remaining $2,800 once the work was completed."
"Weeks passed with no updates from the attorney. When Garcia called to ask how the case was going, the attorney reassured him: "I'm revising the documents," he said. "Relax, relax. Don't worry." Then the weeks became months. Garcia's court date loomed. "I began to question if he was a real lawyer," Garcia said, in Spanish, "and if he was a good person." When Garcia reached out again, he saw that the attorney had blocked his number."
Asylum seekers face long waitlists for nonprofit legal aid and often turn to informal referrals and messaging apps to find attorneys. Some clients wire large upfront payments through services like Western Union and then receive no further communication. Attorneys may reassure clients, then block numbers or disconnect lines as court dates approach, leaving clients to appear unrepresented. Scammers also impersonate legitimate organizations to solicit fees. Demand for immigration lawyers increases the prevalence of these scams, producing financial loss, missed deadlines, and heightened risk of deportation for affected individuals.
Read at Mission Local
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