Each year, immigrant families in California are targeted by scammers posing as immigration lawyers — a problem worsened by heightened deportation fears under President Donald Trump. Here's what to know about the different types of immigration fraud — plus how to spot a potential scam.
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Topline:
Immigrant families in California are being urged to stay alert for scams as fraudsters posing as immigration lawyers exploit fear and confusion.
What to look out for: Scams often involve invalid legal licenses from other countries; complete impersonation of licensed attorneys; or notario fraud, where people mistakenly believe notaries have the same legal powers in the U.S. as they do in other countries.
Who is actually qualified?: Only attorneys licensed by a U.S. state or territory, regardless of where they live, can legally handle immigration cases, and they must be accredited by a state bar to represent clients in court.
It’s been 24 years since a woman now residing in San Francisco last saw her eldest children in Guatemala.
“I’ve given everything trying to find a way to visit my children there,” said the woman, who works cleaning houses. She now has a young son here in California, and because she is undocumented, she risks being unable to reenter the U.S. if she ever travels back to Guatemala. (KQED is not using the woman’s name because she fears being detained or deported if publicly identified due to her immigration status.)
“All this time here, I’ve never found a way to figure out my situation,” she said. “When you’re trying to see the people you love once more, you’re willing to do anything.”
And unfortunately, her desperation made her a target for fraud, she said.
‘Fear and uncertainty’
While scrolling Facebook in 2023, she saw a post from a man claiming to be a successful immigration lawyer — with experience handling complicated cases like hers. After she messaged him, “He promised that he could make me a permanent resident within three months,” she said.
In exchange, she sent over her personal documents and $500 via money order. But when she tried contacting the California law firm where the man claimed to work, the office told her he wasn’t employed there.
When a family friend suggested they ask the man for his law license, “That’s when he got very defensive and just kept asking why I would want that,” she said. “After that call, he blocked me.”
That’s when she realized: “He pretended to be a lawyer, and he scammed me.”
This woman’s experience is not unique. Every year, immigrant families across California fall prey to individuals claiming to be immigration lawyers, and President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation policy has made many in the undocumented community desperate to find any type of legal help.
State officials now are asking people to be on high alert for potential fraud amid this tense environment.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta fields questions during a press conference on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez
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“Families across the country are experiencing fear and uncertainty as a result of President Trump’s inhumane immigration agenda — and scammers are paying attention,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement released July 27.
Keep reading for what to know about immigration fraud and how to spot a potential scam.
The types of immigration fraud to watch for
When seeking legal help for an immigration case, fraud can happen in different ways and can be perpetrated by different kinds of people:
Notario fraud
When a U.S.-based notary public insists to prospective clients they are qualified to give legal advice, despite this being untrue.
In many Latin American countries — including Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina — notaries, or notario públicos, are trained as lawyers. This means that in these countries, they can prepare important legal documents like wills and contracts.
When an individual claims to be a licensed attorney but they have no professional legal background whatsoever or impersonate the identity of a real-life lawyer.
“Immigration services is not something that just anyone can do,” said Hugo Meza, Santa Clara County deputy district attorney. For years, Santa Clara County officials have worked to identify and stop individuals falsely claiming to be immigration attorneys.
“These bad actors will sometimes take all the money and never render any services,” he said. But what could be even worse, said Meza, is when a fraudster actually does provide a legal service, “and then they provide it in a wrong way.”
This, Meza said, “can really ruin someone’s chances in a complex legal process.”
Who can actually offer legal services for an immigration case?
In the U.S., only an attorney licensed by a state bar can represent someone in court, that is, someone accredited by the professional association that sets quality standards for legal services in your state.
However, immigration law is federal, and any person licensed in any U.S. state or territory can practice it. This means you can be represented by a lawyer licensed in a state different from where you live.
“Attorneys can handle all aspects of a case; they can represent someone before an immigration office and even give legal advice,” Meza said. “But in order to have that authority, you must overcome a lot of layers of scrutiny.”
For someone to work as an attorney in California, they must:
Graduate from law school (a law degree is different from an undergraduate degree) or successfully complete an apprenticeship with the Law Office Study Program;
Pass the state Bar Examination, the test all attorneys must pass if they want to practice law in California; and
Maintain their certification and stay in good standing with the state Bar Association, which investigates cases of attorney misconduct.
When looking for an immigration attorney, you may also see ads for “immigration consultants.” These are professionals who can translate important documents, help you complete certain applications or provide general background information on the American immigration system.
What should you know about choosing a trustworthy immigration lawyer?
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Why can’t a notary help me in my immigration case?
“Notaries here typically don’t have any special qualification to do any kind of immigration law,” said Ronald Lee, San Francisco deputy city attorney. But some notary publics incorrectly promote themselves to suggest they offer immigration services, he said.
“By saying that they are notarios, they are causing confusion for a lot of people in terms of their actual qualifications,” Lee said.
In the U.S., the role of notaries is to “notarize” important documents, like a contract or copies of personal documents, like a passport.
This means they confirm that the person presenting the document is who they say they are, and if the document involved is a contract, that the parties signing it are willingly entering into this agreement.
“In no way, shape, or form do they have the same responsibilities as a lawyer,” Meza said.
What are some red flags to spot a potential immigration scam?
When someone has worked for years and had to pass through multiple levels of accreditation, they should be willing to talk about this, Meza said.
“If you ask people about their background in this field and they don’t want to talk about it?” he said. ”That’s a red flag.”
The most important question you can ask to confirm that this person actually is licensed to practice law is: “What is your attorney bar number?”
If this attorney shares that they are licensed in another state, they can still represent you — but it’s a good idea to nonetheless look them up in their home state’s bar. Most states have an attorney search tool available online. Experts recommend you confirm an attorney’s bar number before making any payments — or sharing your personal documents with them.
Some questions you can also ask to make sure that this person can provide you with the legal services you are looking for:
“Have you worked on cases similar to mine?”
“Are you a member of any professional groups or organizations related to immigration law?”
“Where can I find more information about you online?”
Other red flags to watch for when it comes to verifying your immigration lawyer:
Blank documents: If you are asked to sign a blank form and told that everything else will be taken care of, be wary. A blank document can later be altered, and you may find yourself in a contract you did not actually agree to.
“Always ask for copies of everything. Get everything explained to you,” Meza said.
Cash only: Stay alert if you are told that only cash payments are accepted.
“Fraudsters want to do stuff under the table. They don’t want a lot of paper trail,” Meza said.
Costs keep increasing: “They’re always saying that a hiccup came up and they’re asking for more and more money,” Meza said. “That’s a big red flag.”
Before you sign anything, make sure you and your attorney have clearly established how much you will pay for their services.
Overly optimistic promises: Immigration law is extremely complicated, and many immigration benefits can take many months, if not years. Be wary of people promising you very quick, positive results.
“In the legal field, you never know what might come out in a trial or how a judge might decide a case,” Meza said. “If anyone’s promising you a specific permit or immigration status, that’s also someone who I would probably turn away [from] and look for someone else.”
What should you know about choosing a trustworthy immigration lawyer?
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Can someone who is only licensed to practice law in another country help me?
San José immigrant organizers recently told KQED they’re aware of individuals offering immigration legal services when they are only certified to practice law in their home country, but not in the U.S.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, any attorney who offers legal representation must be eligible to practice law in a U.S. state or territory or the District of Columbia. They must also be in compliance with the professional standards set by their state’s bar.
If someone claims to be an attorney in another country but they are not licensed anywhere within the U.S., they cannot offer you legal services as a lawyer in the U.S.
If they are a lawyer but licensed in another state — Texas, for example — they can offer immigration legal services to someone living in California. This is because immigration law is federal, and a person licensed in any U.S. state or territory can practice it.
If you connect with an immigration attorney in another state, experts still recommend that you verify that they have a valid license.
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, where a massive post-fire rebuilding effort is underway.
Published April 1, 2026 4:44 PM
Fencing lines a sidewalk next to a home under construction.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
As Los Angeles homeowners grapple with the expense of rebuilding after last year’s devastating fires, an L.A. City Council member is putting forward an idea that could lower some costs.
Who’s behind it: Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, has introduced a motion to explore waiving part of the city’s portion of the local sales tax for fire victims who purchase rebuilding materials in the city.
The details: The plan calls for returning the 1% of the local 9.75% sales tax that goes into the city’s general fund. The waiver could apply to lumber, appliances and other rebuilding goods purchased within the city.
Read on … to learn whether economists think the proposed tax relief could make a difference.
As Los Angeles homeowners grapple with the expense of rebuilding after last year’s devastating fires, an L.A. City Councilmember is putting forward an idea that could lower some costs.
Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, has introduced a motion to explore waiving part of the city’s portion of the local sales tax for fire victims who purchase rebuilding materials in the city.
The 1% of the local 9.75% sales tax that goes into the city’s general fund would be given back to consumers under the proposal. The waiver could apply to lumber, appliances and other rebuilding goods purchased within the city.
The motion, introduced Friday by Park and seconded by Councilmember John Lee, says: “The City should do everything within its power to alleviate the financial burden for these residents and businesses in order to facilitate their return and stabilize the Pacific Palisades community.”
Would it make much of a difference?
Economists told LAist the proposal could help many homeowners mitigate the high cost of rebuilding, but likely wouldn’t tip the scales for under-insured, under-resourced property owners.
“It wouldn't hurt if it's very well designed and easy to use,” said Alexander Meeks, a director at the Santa Monica-based Milken Institute. “But I'm not sure if it's really going to tackle the scale of the financial challenge that survivors are facing.”
Meeks noted that the tax waiver wouldn’t lower up-front costs such as environmental testing, architectural design and permitting. And it may not help homeowners sourcing raw materials from outside the city.
Zhiyun Li, a UCLA Anderson School of Management economist, said the waiver could help some homeowners justify the additional cost of rebuilding more fire-safe structures.
“Homeowners must typically pay out of pocket to upgrade to IBHS+ standards, which are more stringent,” Li said. “The tax waiver could encourage upgrading to IBHS+ standards or investing more in mitigation, thereby reducing future risk and improving the likelihood of maintaining insurance coverage.”
What’s next for the proposal?
The proposed tax relief would not be available to properties that have been sold since the fires started in January 2025.
The motion has been sent to the City Council’s budget and fire recovery committees. If approved by the full council, it would require the city administrative officer, the Office of Finance and the city attorney to report back to the council within 60 days on options for crafting a tax relief plan.
The motion calls for the report to consider factors such as how to minimize the burden of administering the tax relief, what documentation homeowners would have to submit and what it would cost the city to oversee the program.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the House will take up a measure passed by the Senate last week to fund most of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the end of September. Republicans would then attempt to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years using a party-line budget reconciliation bill that would not require support from Democrats.
About the deal: The agreement comes nearly a week after House Republicans dismissed an identical plan, refusing to take up the Senate-passed measure and instead passing a 60-day short term funding bill for all of DHS that had little chance of overcoming Democratic opposition in the Senate. Democrats welcomed the agreement as in line with their pledge not to give ICE any more money without reforms after immigration enforcement agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. But the deal does not include any of the policy demands Democrats are pressing for, such as a ban on masks for immigration enforcement officers and requiring warrants issued by a judge, not just the agency, to enter homes.
What's next: Congress is on a two-week recess, but the Senate and House could move to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP as early as Thursday using a procedure known as unanimous consent that allows the chambers to circumvent formal voting as long as no member objects. Even during a recess when most members are not in Washington, this could be unpredictable, especially in the House, where many hard-line conservatives oppose a deal that does not fully fund DHS. If a member does object, that could require waiting for another vote when all members are back from recess.
Senate and House Republican leadership have resurrected a stalled plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a record 47-day funding lapse.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the House will take up a measure passed by the Senate last week to fund most of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the end of September.
Republicans would then attempt to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years using a party-line budget reconciliation bill that would not require support from Democrats.
"In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited," Thune and Johnson wrote.
The agreement comes nearly a week after House Republicans dismissed an identical plan, refusing to take up the Senate-passed measure and instead passing a 60-day short term funding bill for all of DHS that had little chance of overcoming Democratic opposition in the Senate.
Johnson called the agreement a "joke" and President Donald Trump declined to publicly endorse the deal. Trump had previously resisted any package that did not include his push to overhaul federal elections known as the Save America Act.
"I think any deal they make, I'm pretty much not happy with it," Trump told reporters last week.
Democrats welcomed the agreement as in line with their pledge not to give ICE any more money without reforms after immigration enforcement agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. But the deal does not include any of the policy demands Democrats are pressing for, such as a ban on masks for immigration enforcement officers and requiring warrants issued by a judge, not just the agency, to enter homes.
"For days, Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement Wednesday. "Throughout this fight, Senate Democrats never wavered."
Trump seemed to bless the revived plan earlier Wednesday, writing on social media that he wants a party-line bill to fund immigration enforcement on his desk by June 1.
"We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won't be able to stop us," Trump wrote.
Despite the shutdown, ICE has been minimally impacted because Republican lawmakers approved $75 billion for ICE through another party-line budget reconciliation bill last year.
Congress is on a two-week recess, but the Senate and House could move to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP as early as Thursday using a procedure known as unanimous consent that allows the chambers to circumvent formal voting as long as no member objects.
Even during a recess when most members are not in Washington, this could be unpredictable, especially in the House, where many hard-line conservatives oppose a deal that does not fully fund DHS.
"Let's make this simple: caving to Democrats and not paying CBP and ICE is agreeing to defund Law Enforcement and leaving our borders wide open again," Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, wrote on X. "If that's the vote, I'm a NO."
If a member does object, that could require waiting for another vote when all members are back from recess.
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Logan Cattaneo, 6, poses for a photo with the Dodgers mascot during Dodgers Dreamteam PlayerFest at Dodgers Stadium in 2024.
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Michael Blackshire
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Topline:
The Dodgers Foundation says it's expanding Dodgers Dreamteam, its program for underserved youth. The foundation says the program will be able to serve 17,000 kids this year, 2,000 more than last year.
Why it matters: Now in its 13th season, the program connects underserved youth with opportunities to play baseball and softball and provides participants with free uniforms and access to baseball equipment. It also offers training for coaches in positive youth development practices, as well as wraparound services for participant families like college workshops, career panels, literacy resources and scholarship opportunities.
How to sign up: For more information and to sign up, click here.
An aerial view of snow-capped trees after a winter snowstorm near Soda Springs on Feb. 20, 2026.
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Stephen Lam, San Francisco Chronicle
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via Getty Images
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Topline:
California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season. It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.
What happened? Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.
Why it matters: Experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains. State data reports that California’s snowpack is closing out the season at an alarming 18% of average statewide, and an even more abysmal 6% of average in the northern mountains that feed California’s major reservoirs. “I think everyone's anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season.
It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.
Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.
But experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains.
On Wednesday, state engineers conducting the symbolic April 1 snowpack measurement at Phillips Station south of Lake Tahoe found no measurable snow in patches of white dotting the grassy field.
“I want to welcome you call to probably one of the quickest snow surveys we’ve had — maybe one where people could actually use an umbrella,” joked Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “We’re getting a lot of questions about are we heading into a hydrologic drought? The answer is, I don’t know.”
Only the extreme drought year of 2015 beat this year’s snowpack for the worst on record, measuring in at just 5% of average on April 1st, when the snow historically is at its deepest.
“I think everyone's anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
“Without a snowpack, and with an early spring, it just means that there’s much more time for something like that to happen.”
‘It’s pretty bizarre up here’
In the city of South Lake Tahoe, which survived the massive Caldor Fire in the fall of 2021 without losing any structures, fire chief Jim Drennan said his department is already ramping up prevention efforts.
“It's pretty bizarre up here right now. It really seems like June conditions more than March,” Drennan said. “People are already turning the sprinklers on for their lawns.”
Without more precipitation, an early spring may complicate prescribed burning efforts. But Drennan said fire agencies in the Tahoe basin can start mechanically clearing fuels from forest areas earlier than usual.
“That means we can get more work done,” he said.
It also means homeowners need to start hardening their homes now, said Martin Goldberg, battalion chief and fuels management officer for the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, which protects unincorporated communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s south shore.
Goldberg urges residents to scour their yards for burnable materials, create defensible space and reach out to local fire departments with questions. The risks are widespread — from firewood, wooden fences, gas cans, plants, pine needles — even lawn furniture stacked against a house.
“In years past, I wouldn't even think of raking and clearing until May,” Goldberg said. “But my yard's completely cleared of snowpack, and it has been for a couple weeks now.”
‘A haystack fire’
Battalion chief David Acuña, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said fire season is shaped by more than just one year’s snowpack.
Climate change has been remaking California’s fire seasons into fire years. And California’s recent average to abundant water years have fueled what Acuña called “bumper crops of vegetation and brush.”
“Most of California is like a haystack. And if you’ve ever seen a haystack fire, they burn very intensely because there's layers of fuel,” Acuña said.
Like Quinn-Davidson, Acuña wasn’t ready to make specific predictions about fires to come.
But John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced, said the temperatures and snowpack conditions this year offer a glimpse of California in the latter decades of this century, as fossil fuel use continues to drive global temperatures higher.
How this year’s fires will play out will depend on when, where and how wind, heat, fuel and ignitions combine. But it foreshadows the consequences of a warmer California for water and fire under climate change.
“This,” Abatzoglou said, “is yet another stress test for the future in the state.”
