HOPE IN IMMIGRATION

Maricela Amezola told us about a client who came to the United States in the early 1990s and became a victim of fraud, but later saw success.

A notorio filed a frivolous asylum application for him, along with several fake documents, and the client was completely unaware. He never received notifications because they all went to the notario, who did not inform him.

By the time he visited Amezola around 2015, he told her, ‘I just need to know what’s going on with my case. I just remember I paid this guy…” He has signed something without knowing what it meant.

Amezola recognized the name of the notario, who had been prosecuted for fraud. Even though the client then had a deportation order, Amezola was able to team up with the Office of Chief Counsel in Los Angeles to file a motion to reopen the case and dismiss it, based on the prosecution of the notario involved.

“Not only were we going to take away the deportation, he was going to be here, be able to get a green card,” said Maricela.

Through a series of legal actions, he was eventually able to become a US citizen, which he celebrated with his child who is in the military. “…and just the glow on his face of how proud he was that he was now a US citizen…”