Deportation fraud is a type of fraud that occurs when people fraudulently avoid deportation. It might involve the forging of documents to stay in the US, marrying someone fraudulently to avoid deportation, or fraudulently having another person pose as immigration services to avoid deportations. This type of fraud is complex because it commonly involves many different people. There may also be communication barriers. Sometimes the issue is even international.
You might be faced with deportation even if you haven’t done anything wrong. If you are being charged with any kind of immigration fraud, it’s important to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. Sometimes the legal system in your home country might be different from that of the US, which can make the process of getting immigration documents complicated.
When you arrive in the US, you will have your immigration documents signed by a notary. There are many Latin American countries that have notaries who handle filing important papers. You might be recommended a group to handle your immigration services by your family or friends. It’s common to want to use a group in your home country for immigration purposes because these notaries speak your language and understand your culture. But not all of these people can actually provide the services they advertise. Some might fraudulently take your money without officiating your documents.
In the US, law can only be practiced by a person who has gone to law school and passed the bar exam. This helps ensure that attorneys are educated enough to represent their clients. A notary cannot practice law. However, Latin American notary providers often act like they can legally represent you in court. This might lead to a loss of your funds and eventual deportation.
You might be accused of immigration fraud if you use an unqualified person to represent you. This can become an extremely stressful experience, especially if you don’t share a language with the law enforcement officials. If you can’t contact the person who represented you, or you don’t understand why you’re being accused of fraud, you might still be accused of willfully committing fraud. That’s why a knowledgeable immigration lawyer is so important.
If you find yourself facing fraud charges, it’s vital that you get in contact with a licensed US attorney. You shouldn’t rely on someone in your home country who may not have the expertise necessary to defend you in court.

Marriage Fraud

Marriage fraud is another common issue with immigration. When you get married to a US citizen, you are then granted lawful permanent residence. This allows you to stay in the country even if you’ve never completed your paperwork to become a US citizen. You can then stay longer than the bounds of your initial visa.
Marriage fraud is very serious, especially because of how common it is. People might consider it a “fast track” to gaining the rights of a full citizen of the United States. There are several red flags that the US government watches out for. If they suspect that a person might have gotten fraudulently married, they might deny your visa. In addition, if there is enough evidence, you could face criminal charges for marriage fraud.
There are several different ways that marriage fraud might be committed. Some people might pay to marry a foreign citizen or take money as a condition of agreeing to the marriage. Some people might ask for their friends to marry them as a favor. There have also been cases in which the foreign party tricks the person in the US into believing that they are in a legitimate marriage.
You will need to prove that you have a legitimate marriage. This might mean documenting the entirety of your courtship for US officials. It might also mean complying with investigations, in which the court might try to determine whether you actually live with your spouse. You might need to participate in interviews where you talk about your relationship to your spouse, and the officials make sure that your accounts match up.
If you are asked to participate in an interview or make a statement to prove the legitimacy of your marriage, it’s a good idea to talk to an immigration lawyer. Even if your marriage is completely legitimate, immigration officials may look for any excuse to “prove” that it’s based on falsehoods.

Benefit Fraud

People may adopt a fraudulent identity to gain certain benefits in the US. When the false identity is used to claim false citizenship, this is a type of immigration fraud that can lead to deportation. Identity fraud is one of the main types of crime that is prosecuted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
People might also engage in document fraud such as using a social security number that isn’t theirs.