The Brief

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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“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.

Victims incorrectly believe this is also true in the U.S. legal system, even though notaries and lawyers are two completely different professions in the U.S. Jump straight to more information about notario fraud.

Invalid legal license

When someone who previously worked as a lawyer in their country of origin claims they can offer legal services in the U.S.

In most legal proceedings, the lawyer who represents you must be licensed in the state where you are, but for immigration law, your lawyer can be licensed in any U.S. state or territory. However, they must be certified to practice law in the U.S., not another country.

Identity fraud

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.

“But not anyone can decide to be an immigration consultant,” Meza said, and these people have to conform to certain regulations, too. California requires that every person offering services as an immigration consultant must:

• Pass a background check with state officials;
• Be registered with the secretary of state’s office; and
• Secure a $100,000 bond from an insurer or surety company to establish trust with clients.

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?”

Why: Licensed attorneys must have received a number specific to them from the state bar. You can then look this number up online in the state Bar of California’s attorney search tool to make sure who you’re speaking to is telling the truth about who they are.

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.

Something unusual is happening with only a few days remaining before the U.S. men's national team opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay: Tickets for the match are not sold out.

Although numbers fluctuate regularly, FIFA's ticketing website still shows 132 tickets left to sell for a game that's set to take place in Los Angeles on Friday. Meanwhile, resale platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek — and FIFA's own marketplace — also show thousands of tickets on sale.

The number is even higher for Canada's opening match against Bosnia Herzegovina in Toronto on the same day, with 226 tickets left in FIFA's website and a high number of tickets available in resale markets.

That's unusual for high-profile events such as the opening matches of the World Cup — traditionally among the hardest to get tickets in the tournament. This year will feature three hosts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — but so far only Mexico's opening match against South Africa on Thursday looks to be virtually sold out.

Ticketing experts widely agree on the reason: the prices. FIFA dramatically jacked them up for the tournament — especially for high profile games. The most expensive regular seats for the U.S. opener against Paraguay are priced at $2,735 — more than the final cost for the 2022 World Cup final — while the cheapest are $1,120.

Even President Trump said he wouldn't pay those prices.

"I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn't pay it either, to be honest with you," Trump told the New York Post in a recent interview.

The other two remaining games for the U.S. national have far fewer tickets available, given that prices are well below the ones for the opening match.

Prices have also fallen sharply

There are not only plenty of tickets left to sell — a number of them are also available below FIFA's face value. According to Ticketdata, which tracks prices across the resale platforms, the cheapest pair of tickets for the opening match for the U.S. and Canada was $951 as of Monday morning, while in FIFA's resale platform, tickets were available for as low as $690.

Other games across the 104-match tournament also still have many tickets left to sell — despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino's claim that every match is "already sold out." That's especially the case for lesser well known teams such as the Jordan against Algeria match, which still had hundreds of unsold seats in the FIFA's web site.

Demand for high-profile tickets such as Argentina and Portugal was far higher, however, with many of those games looking largely sold out.

Will the opening matches sell out?

Whether eventually the U.S. and Canada opening matches will sell out is hard to answer. Throughout the sales process, FIFA has closely guarded how many tickets it has actually sold and how many are left to sell, making it virtually impossible to gauge.

In addition, like other teams, FIFA could also sell tickets in other platforms including third-party ones such as SeatGeek, which can further obscure how many tickets are left to sell.

FIFA and organizers, however, are hoping for a surge in excitement that leads to a last-minute rush of sales for the opening matches as well as for those such as Jordan against Algeria that look far from being sold out.

Ben Shields, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says perceptions so far of the tournament have been shaped by how expensive tickets and travel has been for a tournament taking place across an entire continent.

That, he says, "does not seem to sit well with many."

But that could change.

"The hope or bet — for FIFA is that once the matches start — and the greatest players in the world compete for the most prestigious prize of them all, the sport as business lens will fade into the background and the World Cup will be seen and experienced as the enduring global institution that it is," Shields says. "We shall see."
Copyright 2026 NPR

Orange County’s top elected leaders on Tuesday are set to discuss what to do with $3.7 million recovered from the Andrew Do corruption scheme.

Do is now serving a five-year sentence in federal prison after he admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for awarding millions in tax dollars meant to feed needy seniors and people with disabilities in his district.

As part of the plea deal, Do acknowledged taking more than $800,000 in bribes through his two daughters, including a down payment on the house his youngest daughter Rhiannon Do later forfeited to resolve the criminal case. The scheme was first uncovered by LAist.

Federal officials recovered money from seized bank accounts and two properties connected to Do’s scheme — including the Tustin house his daughter bought.

The county Board of Supervisors is expected to publicly discuss plans for the recovered funds as they make decisions on the overall county budget at their meeting Tuesday. Public comment will also be taken.

What to do with the money?

Ahead of Tuesday’s discussion, Do’s successor said the funds should support residents of his former district who were deprived by Do and his alleged co-conspirators.

“For the past five years, every other district in Orange County has benefitted from the same community funds to support their cities, nonprofits, civic projects which strengthens their communities,” Supervisor Janet Nguyen wrote in a mass email to constituents last week. “However, our district went without because Do stole what belonged to our residents.”

“This money was stolen from the First District, and it must come back to the First District,” Nguyen added.

Nguyen was Do’s mentor and former boss more than a decade ago, before the two had a bitter falling out by 2016.

She encouraged residents of her district to send letters to the board and to speak during public comments.

Several county supervisors told LAist they supported a similar approach, one in which the recovered money goes to support the original intended recipients: seniors and people with disabilities in Do’s former district. Some supervisors have since advocated a broader view of how they’d want to use the money, noting that it was meant to address disruptions caused by the pandemic. Now that years have passed since the initial COVID-19 outbreak and lockdowns, some supervisors argue community needs have changed.

“We are so many years on, and the problems that money originally was to address (mostly Covid impacts) are now behind us, that I think we should have a discussion about how and where to spend it,” Supervisor Don Wagner told LAist via text message in March. “The budget is so tight and the needs so great across the county.”

Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he’d work toward a fair distribution of the funds to best serve residents, with a focus on current needs.

“We will definitely consider what areas of the County were harmed by Do’s scheme, but we must also remember that the funds were intended for relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, a threat we are no longer facing,” he said in March. “We also need to consider addressing the current needs of residents with any dollars returned to the county.”

Millions more haven’t been recovered, at least yet

The amount of taxpayer money recovered so far is less than half of the $7.9 million Andrew Do admitted was diverted from specific meal contracts.

In a lawsuit seeking to recover funds, the county alleges the total amount lost in the scheme was even larger: $13.25 million. The county’s suit — scheduled for trial in November 2027 — covers all of the money Do gave to two nonprofits accused in the scheme, Viet America Society and Hand to Hand Relief Organization.

That leaves more than $4 million — and possibly much more — not yet recovered.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted they have an ongoing criminal case against Do’s alleged co-conspirator Peter Pham.

“Assuming we obtain a conviction in that matter, we would expect to seek restitution,” the spokesperson, Ciaran McEvoy, said.

Pham left the country on a flight to Taiwan in late 2024 and remains a fugitive, according to McEvoy. The case against him also includes charges against another alleged co-conspirator, Thanh Huong Nguyen, who led the Hand to Hand nonprofit.

Fans of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team swelled the stadium at the Great Park in Irvine on Monday to watch players practice for the first time since arriving at the training facility they’ll call home for the first round of the 2026 World Cup.

“Seeing them play right now… it was really cool to see how they play and how they practice,” said Mila Ran, who came with her mother from nearby Mission Viejo.

“This whole time she’s saying, 'I want to go shoot, I want to go play,'” said Mila’s mother, Farah Ran.

They were among about 6,000 people who won free entry to the practice in a lottery that received more than 30,000 entries, according to Irvine officials.

Fans got to the venue early.

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The team’s biggest stars — Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and others — showed off their ball handling skills, honed over years of play on U.S. youth fields and overseas in professional leagues. Fans yelled, waved U.S. flags, held up homemade signs, and did the wave several times.

The U.S. Men's National Team at their only open-to-the-public practice session in Irvine.

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After the roughly 45-minute practice, some players walked to the sidelines to take selfies with fans and sign autographs.

The players know it’s going to take more than this, however, to live up to expectations during the World Cup.

US men's national team player Tim Ream signs an autograph for a fan.

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“To be in a position to train in front of these people today… is such a unique opportunity and one that none of us take for granted,” said backup goalie Matt Freese before the practice. “We’re working as hard as we can, as focused as we can to leave the next generation inspired."

The U.S. men’s team and their training staff will use the Great Park facility over the next several weeks as the team plays Paraguay on Friday, Australia on June 19, and Turkey on June 25 in group play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Jury selection began Monday for the trial of the man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures.

Jonathan Rinderknecht is charged with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of setting timber afire. He could face up to 45 years in federal prison.

How we got here

Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht set brush alight near a popular hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains on New Year’s Day, starting the Lachman Fire. Firefighters initially thought they put out the fire, but it remained smouldering underground for several days. High winds then brought the embers to the surface, sparking the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 23,000 acres.

What prosecutors say

In a court filing in April, prosecutors allege Rinderknecht displayed “extreme anger, indignation, and frustration” because he had to spend New Year's Eve alone. After driving around for Uber, Rinderknecht hiked up a popular trail and set chaparral alight in a clearing, according to prosecutors.

“He then started calling 911 multiple times, hiked down the hill, and fled the area in his car before firefighters arrived. Defendant returned to the area after he saw fire trucks arriving and then took videos of the firefighting efforts,” prosecutors wrote.

The filing also states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that Rinderknecht started the smaller blaze knowing it could turn into a bigger inferno.

U.S. District Court Judge Anne Hwang has previously expressed the government’s position could confuse jurors.

What the defense says

Defense attorney Steve Haney previously told reporters that prosecutors were trying to blame Rinderknecht for a fire that started days before the Palisades Fire.

"Well what about what happened between Jan. 1 and Jan. 7?" he asked. "Jonathan wasn't out there with a fire hose putting that fire out at the Lachman location, the Fire Department was. So why are they blaming him for whatever the Fire Department didn't do?"