Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D) on Tuesday announced that his office and the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC), a collection of migrant advocacy organizations, are working together to warn migrants in the state about getting unauthorized legal advice.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and MIRC launched a new website aimed at “Protecting New Mainers from Immigration Scams,” that provides migrants information on who is qualified to give them legal advice on their immigration cases, and allows migrants to report immigration scams through an online portal.
“Immigration law is both complicated and extremely consequential. We are deeply concerned about the ramifications for New Mainers who might be spending hard-earned money on dubious legal advice from people holding themselves out to be experts on these critical issues,” said Attorney General Frey in a Tuesday press release.
“We already know of some victims who have faced negative repercussions for legal mistakes made by these scammers,” Frey said.
The online resource, according to the Attorney General’s Office, came as a result of years of effort among immigration attorney and migrant service providers to address a persistent problem of unauthorized individuals exploiting migrants by offering legal services in exchange for large sums of money.
“Victims frequently discovered that their cases were either not filed, incorrectly filed, or filed with fraudulent information, jeopardizing their immigration status,” the Attorney General’s Office stated.
“The unlawful practice of law exploits those who are most vulnerable, undermines due process, and harms all our communities,” said Ruben Torres, Advocacy, Communications and Policy Manager for MIRC.
“After years of challenging conversations and with many more years of hard work ahead, our Coalition members and the Attorney General are celebrating this crucial first step toward preventing exploitation and further protecting our communities in our state,” Torres said.
The announcement comes as Attorney General Frey filed a civil complaint a Westbrook man for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide legal advice to asylum-seeking migrants in Maine, despite not being licensed to do so.
The complaint, filed by Frey in Kennebec County Court, alleges that Shonda Okanda operated a religious organization Christian Association for Peace, Leadership, and Development (CAPLD), and “exploited his position as a religious leader to gain the trust of newly arrived immigrants to Maine.”
According to the complaint, the CAPLD website claimed that the organization could assist with migrants’ legal issues and had a “team of lawyers.” That legal advice would allegedly be offered in exchange for donations to Okanda’s church, or outright payments.
Prosecutors claim that Okanda, who is not an attorney or immigration law expert, put the migrants at risk of being deported due to allegedly submitting paperwork to federal agencies with false, incomplete, or misleading information.
The complaint further alleges that between August 2021 and June 2022, Okanda took more than $10,000 from 21 customers and moved the money — some of which was collected as purported donations to the church — into his personal bank accounts.
Frey’s complaint calls Okanda’s conduct “especially reprehensible” because the victims are asylum-seeking migrants.
“Not only are asylum seekers particularly vulnerable to exploitation, but they are often afraid to come forward for fear of community or government retribution,” the complaint states. “Thus, Okanda was able to use his power as a religious and community leader to lure asylum seekers into paying him hundreds of dollars for work that he was not authorized or sufficiently skilled to perform, with little fear of being reported.”
The Maine Attorney General’s Office is seeking a civil penalty against Okanda of up to $10,00 for each of the alleged violations, as well as wanting an order for him to pay restitution, and ban him from ever operating a nonprofit in the state or providing legal advice or assistance on immigration paperwork.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="28375 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=28375">10 Comments
Rather than advice, let s get them a return ticket
why these charades that legal processes are predominately followed?
Oh! Protect the illegals (NOT New Mainers) but not the citizens who are victims of their crimes and in danger from their illegal driver’s licenses approved by Shenna Bellows and taxes going to unsustainable heights to pay for everything for them and rents going through the roof as a result of all the new taxes and welfare housing they get, etc, etc, etc.
What a bunch of hypocrites.
The fed govt is giving out voter registration forms at the borders and telling them they have all the rights of citizens.
Hey Frey, how about deporting them?
How about just getting rid of the illegal aliens before they seek out advice?
If the state is referring to alternative counsel as ‘fraudulent’, it must then be accurate and true.
There are no bigger fraudsters than those spouting Evil Auntie Jan’s party line. November can’t come fast enough!
Where, where can I find a lawyer with such wonderful taste in jackets? Or is this just another decoration for pride month?
“The unlawful practice of law exploits those who are most vulnerable, undermines due process, and harms all our communities,” said Ruben Torres, Advocacy, Communications and Policy Manager for MIRC. ,
well aint that calling the kettle black ! they broke the law crossing our borders ! whos unlawfull??? lets start with the p @#%k in the white house
“New Mainers” are STILL illegal aliens! Polish a turd, put lipstick on a pig…STILL illegal alien!!!
How about we not even let them in to begin with? This is the way the power elite are going to bring down this country. Flood it with illegal aliens, put them all on welfare. Suck the life out of the middle class that is the backbone of the US so they have complete control and you will be under their thumb. Since many are here already, Send them packing back to the third world hell holes they came from. Nice jacket!!! Not!
By the way, does that bad legal advice include telling the illegals how to use fake ss #’s to obtain driver’s licenses?
And speaking of that, where are they getting money for vehicles?
They’re driving mostly nice ones. I’ve see at least two in $65,000 Armadas, in BMW’s, etc.