CUOMO SUES IMMIGRATION SERVICES COMPANIES FOR TARGETING AND DEFRAUDING HAITIANS IMPACTED BY RECENT EARTHQUAKE
NEW YORK, NY (June 8, 2010) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced lawsuits against several companies for targeting the Haitian community with fraudulent immigration services after the January earthquake that devastated much of the Haitian capital region. The lawsuits allege that the companies and their owners - who are not lawyers - have been illegally providing legal advice and services to Haitian immigrants. As non-lawyers, the owners are prohibited from providing legal advice or representing anyone before immigration authorities. Further, the lawsuits allege that the companies are charging Haitian immigrants thousands of dollars for processing immigration applications that could be filed for free through a waiver. This case is part of the Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into immigration fraud.