Attorney General Targets Notary Publics Offering Immigration Services

Reported by: Farrah Fazal
Last Update: 7:42 am

MCALLEN - A Valley immigration lawyer is getting some federal and state help in warning people about bad notary publics.

Attorney Gerardo Arriaga has been speaking out against bad notary publics for a few years now.

"They advertise immigration services. They promise things that cannot be done under the law," he says.

Arriaga says some will tell clients they can get them permanent residency in the United States or apply for a legal proceeding under which you can't be deported, neither of which can actually happen.

"The only person who decides who stays and goes is the government of the United States of America," he says.

The Texas Attorney General has charged two notary publics in McAllen for charging for services immigration lawyers do.

A few months ago the attorney general got a court order to stop the notary publics from doing business.

He says he's shut down 60 bogus notary publics in the last eight years.

The federal government is now joining the crackdown in Texas.

Arriaga says if you need immigration advice, you should seek out an immigration lawyer.

If you can't afford a lawyer, there are some places like PROBAR in Harlingen that will take on some cases for free.

The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville says they also offer free immigration services at their offices in Brownsville and San Juan.

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