Immigration Legal Defense Corp.

Review: In August of 2012, we started our immigration process with Ms. [redacted] for my husband to become a legal resident here in the US. We provided her a total of $1500 upfront for her to start the immigration process. After that we paid her monthly installments of $400.00 for nine months, nearing a total of $5000. In the meantime for the last 2 years, we have made appointments where they always get cancelled because of one thing or another. She not once contacted to let us know what the process was, if she needed anymore more money, etc. It wasn’t until I saw a televised show about her and her bad services that I took matters into my own hands. On January 1, 2015, I contacted immigration, and checked my status and nothing has been sent to them from Ms. [redacted] at all. So, for two years, and $5000.00 later, she has done nothing.Desired Settlement: I paid for services that were never done. At this point I would like my money back.

Review: I [redacted]l and my wife [redacted] are very disappointed with our attorney we hired back in Feb 2012. [redacted], because we hired her to get my wife her residency. She told us she would take my wires case she was going to charge $5,000 for her services my wife and I also just noticed that she chargers us $330 more for a total of $5,330, not including other fees we would pay to certain locations. we agreed We gave [redacted] $2,500 down to start the case and monthly payments of $150. She told us it would take about a year to a year and half, its been 2 years and 5 months already. We have payed all of the $5,000 already and we've asked her several times since Nov of 2013, for a receipt both over the phone and in person, till this day she has not given us that receipt for 0 balance. We also have given her $650 on top of that because she said she recommended I get a psychological evaluation which I've never had. Back in Feb of 2014 [redacted] sent me an email stating that she was going to send the I601A and that she would have it done in that month even though she said her doctor put her on a medical leave until April 2014. My wife called [redacted] office back in April 2014, and as usual the receptionists answered because [redacted] is never at her office, and asked the receptionists [redacted] if the attorney had end the I601A already an she told my wife she still hadn't sent it yet, my wife made an appointment so we could see [redacted] and find out why she still has not sent that form. We got an appointment for May 5th 2014 we asked the attorney what was going on she told my wife that she sent the waiver form in the beginning of april 2014 my wife then asked her to show us some sort of documents or receipt some proof that she sent does documents, she told us that she forgot to bring the papers that day we told her you knew we had this appointment today why would you not bring them she said for us to come bye next week either monday or tuesday to pick up thDesired Settlement: Our money back along with our original file, she has socials, personal documents doctor records, personal information.

Review: I started my services with this Attorney in March of 2013. My husband, who is a US Citizen, paid her $2500 to get the petition to for me to apply for residency here in the US. We were still paying her $300 a month until, we are able to pay off the balance. There was a nine month gap between the petition, and obtaining the i-601a form. $670 was provided to the attorney to pay immigration for the waiver (i-601A), and I actually went and signed the waiver for it to be sent out to immigration. I tried contacting her countless time to see what the status was with immigration, and she confirmed that the document was sent on 09/21/2014. After verifying with an immigration officer, they confirmed nothing was ever sent in. My husband and I have paid her $7677, and have had nothing done in my process and I was completely wasting valuable time with her.Desired Settlement: At this point, we want all our documents and money so I can take my case to another Attorney.

Review: Nature of Dispute: Ms. [redacted] was referred to me from some of my friends in Manteca. So on October27, 2012 I began services with her for a residency to stay in the US. She mentioned that I could qualify for some program because of the drug violence in my native country in Mexico, especially because my brother was kidnapped and I was seeking safety. I wasn’t fully aware what she was telling me, I simply trusted her. I paid her that day $150 for a consultation fee, and the following week I would have to pay $3000 to cover the fee’s for her to continue the application. That whole month I tried contacting her to see how everything was, but I never got through to her at all. it was always communication with [redacted], her secretary. I finally got fed up with her services, and made an appointment with in March of 2014. I demanded her to please tell me where the process was, and she mentioned that the case was not complete because files were missing, She mentioned that If I wanted to continue with the case that I needed to Continue monthly payments of $500 until I paid off another $5,000. At that point I told her no because $500 was way too much and I couldn’t afford that. As I left she said I would end up owing her money for her time working on my case. I told her that was fine, and to date I have yet to hear from her. I last contacted the company August 2014 to see If there was a balance, but at that point her numbers had all been changed.Desired Settlement: I would like the $3000 I paid her upfront for the services she never once provided.

Review: On July 5 of 2012, I went to visit Attorney [redacted] for the first time. I went to speak with her about my son, and I was going in place of my daughter in law that couldn't make the visit. She asked me upfront for $2000.00, and she would be willing to take my son’s case. My son’s application was denied at first because they categorized him with being gang affiliated. [redacted] told me that she would fight the case, and would even do monthly payments of $500.00 for me. I ended up paying her $8000.00 in grand total over the course of 2 year. I used to call her and I was ignored over and over again, and was telling me that she was ill and couldn't really work on the case as much as she wanted. Finally she contacted us when she said immigration was asking for $587, and I told her that was too much for me at that time. In desperation for my son, I asked her for a payment plan to split into 3 payments and she agreed.

Over the course of 2 years, almost 3 in total, we never heard anything from Immigration about my son, or her. So, I saw her special report on Univision, and noticed that I wasn't the only one suffering from the same thing. We finally called immigration, and they mentioned that nothing was ever submitted to them. No documents were ever brought to their office. So, Ms. [redacted] lied to us, especially me, and took $8587.00 away from us for nothing.Desired Settlement: Please give us back our money in total for $8587.00. She was paid for services that never happened.

Review: I started working with Ms. [redacted] since 2008, we asked for her assistance to make my husband a US Citizen, and then he would later be able to make my daughter a resident as well as myself. She charged us $8500 for our cases, $7000 for mine, and $1500 for my husband and Daughter. For 2 years I didn’t hear anything from her, and all along I thought she was working on my case. But, she clearly wasn’t. In 2010, I went to the very last court with Immigration, and I was denied immigration. However, the judge was feeling generous and didn’t deport me, instead she asked that I get a [redacted] in Ciudad Juarez, and allowed me to stay in the States. Basically, for the last 7 years, and nearly $12,000.00, I went through a process that I didn’t need, and an application that was completely incorrect. She wasted my time, and I almost lost my family because of her. I have suffered so much because of her, and she never worked on my case since 2010. She didn’t care that I put my family through stress, especially my kids, and I almost lost them.

I did speak with another attorney, and he mentioned that my case was in perfect shape with documents, but it was just abandoned through immigration, and it would be easy to work on. But, I do not have the funds to pay the $6000.00 because all my time and money has been given to Ms. [redacted]. Just last week, I spoke with Ms. [redacted], and she mentioned that she had just gotten surgery. She still however said she would still work on my case. I sent her questions via email, and haven’t heard anything. I find it strange she still wanted to work on my case, after I heard she surrendered her license.Desired Settlement: I would like the money I paid her back, she charged me for a process I didn’t need. I’m in the process of being deported if this case isn’t reopened with immigration. All together she owes me back $12,000.00, and I would like that money back.

Review: I paid Ms. [redacted] in the total of $8100 for my immigration process to obtain my residency. She did help me when I had to go in front of a judge for a court hearing facing deportation.

I paid her $3500 for her to represent herself as my attorney, and after that we paid $500 a month for her to help me obtain my residency. As of today, she has been paid in full. I started worrying that nothing was being done, and started checking my status with immigration on my own. It turns out nothing has been submitted to continue my process. So, what exactly did I pay for? Now, I’m looking into paying more fees for another attorney to finish her job, which she was paid in full to do.Desired Settlement: I know she did assist me in my deportation status, so I’m only asking for half of the money she was paid for total of $4,000.00. She really never did anything other than that.

Review: I hired Mrs [redacted] and she said my case would be 5,000 total including filing and court appearance but then she also charged me 500 more in filing forms. Once she received all of the money she stopped answering and returning my calls. Further more when I asked for my money back there was no response, then I asked for my file and they will not release it to me. I honestly think she never filed anything because till the day I have not received any outcome of my case. further more she had said my case could take 6 months to one year back in 2002, still waiting.Desired Settlement: See Complaint Text

Review: This attorney promised my wife and I that she was going to get me a working permit within 9 months, and later our residency within 2 years. It’s been over 11 months now, and nothing that she has promised is happening. I have paid Mrs. [redacted] nearly $8,000, and she now wants another $4,000 to continue the process. I asked her to please follow through with her end of the contract and obtain that work permit for me, and I will provide the remaining balance in order to obtain my visa. She told me that it was impossible for her to get that permit, and it would only happen if I gave her the remaining balance. I reminded her that she mentioned she would do this within 6-9 months, and here we are 11 months later and I am out $8, 000 and no work permit, or residency. After looking into this a little more Ms. [redacted] just recently started the whole process in March, when she received the first payment in August. I tried calling her countless times, and I stopped paying her my monthly payments because that was the only way she would ever get in contact with me. That’s when I would ask the status on my immigration process and just ask questions to get an ease of mind.Desired Settlement: At this point she has failed to do what she was paid to do. I have no work permit, and I have had to seek services elsewhere and this process is not cheap. I would simply like to use that $8000 and pay someone who will work on my case. I would simply like my $8000 back.

Review: We hired Attorney [redacted] in July 2012, paid her $7,500.00 up front and she promise that within 6 months of hiring her my husband would have a work permit as well as a social security number and would also help my husband obtain a green card. We had to pay her $380.00 extra for the work permit. 6 months passed by and Ms. [redacted] still had not submitted anything to INS. I would call numerous of times to check status on case and Ms.[redacted] was never in her office and we would not receive a call back until weeks after. When I finally received a email back from her in February of 2013 she was upset at me for inquiring on my husbands case and stated she was going to work on the work permit and that by July 2013 he would have his permit. Till this day nothing has been submitted for a work permit to INS. We also paid $75.00 extra for an online Psych eval that she said she need to do on me that would need to be submitted to INS. I asked her when would she need to see me for that eval to be done and she replied that there was no need for me to go in, that she would do it on her own. I asked numerous of times for a copy of the psych eval and I never received a copy. Hiring her has only caused us alot of stress, loss time from work, making my husbands situation harder by making us lose all this time from him being able to obtain a work permit as well as obtaining his Resident card.Desired Settlement: We would like our whole amount back for the job she never begin or finished. Which is $7,500.00 plus the $380.00 for the work permit that was never submitted as well as the $75.00 for the Psych eval. total of $7955.00. As well as an investigaton on her business license as we are not only Ms. [redacted]s victims.