{"id":782,"date":"2025-06-30T15:27:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shahana-hanif\/?p=782"},"modified":"2025-07-08T15:32:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T19:32:01","slug":"new-york-city-council-passes-the-nations-most-comprehensive-legislation-targeting-immigration-legal-services-fraud-notario-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shahana-hanif\/2025\/06\/30\/new-york-city-council-passes-the-nations-most-comprehensive-legislation-targeting-immigration-legal-services-fraud-notario-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City Council Passes the Nation\u2019s Most Comprehensive Legislation Targeting Immigration Legal Services Fraud \u201cNotario Fraud\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

June 30, 2025\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Media Contacts:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Council Member Won: <\/strong>Farah Salam: <\/strong>fsalam@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | (646) 771-3240Council Member Hanif: <\/strong>Musarrat Lamia: mlamia@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | (646) 353-4549<\/p>\n

Amid the Rise in Anti-immigrant Policies Nationally, Council Member Hanif\u2019s <\/em>Intro 205-A<\/em><\/a> and Council Member Won\u2019s <\/em>Intro 980-A<\/em><\/a> will Protect Immigrant New Yorkers with Education on Common Scams and by Increasing Penalties on Predatory Actors<\/em><\/p>\n

City Hall, New York<\/strong>\u2013 Today, the New York City Council passed two bills to combat immigration legal service fraud, commonly known as \u201cnotario fraud.\u201d These are the most comprehensive efforts by a city to address this issue, amid the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies, leaving many immigrant communities fearful, anxious, and confused about their legal options to avoid detention and deportation. Predatory actors exploit these fears by offering false promises. Immigration services fraud involves non-lawyers providing or misrepresenting legal services, often referred to as \u201cnotarios p\u00fablicos\u201d in Spanish-speaking communities. The consequences can be severe, with victims sometimes paying thousands of dollars for services that leave them worse off.  This long-standing issue has worsened with the recent rise in new arrivals. According to DCWP, complaints are at an all-time high, and the State Office of New Americans also reports an increase.<\/p>\n

Council Member Shahana Hanif\u2019s Intro 205A will require the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Mayor\u2019s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Mayor\u2019s Office of Ethnic and Community Media, and other appropriate agencies to work collaboratively to educate immigrant communities about common immigration-related scams. The education and outreach campaign will be conducted in all designated city-wide languages and temporary languages. The campaign will include guidance on how to identify and avoid common fraudulent schemes, information on credible immigration legal service providers, and how to report fraud using DCWP\u2019s complaint mechanisms. To ensure broad reach, the campaign will use targeted media channels, internet and subway advertisements, and key public locations, including, but not limited to IDNYC registration sites, humanitarian emergency response and relief centers (HERRCs), asylum seeker resource navigation centers, public schools, shelters, and other city-administered social service facilities. <\/p>\n

Council Member Julie Won\u2019s Intro 980-A doubles civil penalties for businesses for egregious violations of the city\u2019s rules governing Immigration Assistance Services. For less severe violations, the bill increases existing penalties<\/a> in order to deter bad actors from misleading immigrants. Egregious violations for prohibited conduct can include the unauthorized practice of law or threatening to report a customer to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Such violations will double existing penalties, increasing the range from $3,750 to $5,000 to $7,500 to $10,000 for a first violation and from $9,000 to $10,000 to $18,000 to $20,000 for successive violations. Intro 980-A was proposed in response to an increase in complaints to Won\u2019s office from constituents who had been victims of predatory immigration service providers and had been scammed out of thousands of dollars. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is deplorable to overcharge and mislead desperate community members searching for a legal pathway to citizenship. With the passage of Int. 980-A, fake lawyers and predatory providers will now receive double the civil penalties for serious violations of NYC’s laws for Immigration Assistance Services,\u201d said Council Member Julie Won<\/strong>. \u201cToday NYC is passing the most comprehensive and aggressive laws in the nation to protect immigrants from \u201cnotario fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s anti-immigrant policies have generated anxiety and confusion among immigrant communities. Bad actors often exploit these vulnerabilities through fraudulent practices, charging high fees and sometimes even sabotaging ongoing immigration cases,\u201d said Council Member Shahana Hanif, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus.<\/strong> \u201cReports from DCWP and the State Office for New Americans show this problem has worsened in recent years, especially with the recent surge of new arrivals. Intro. 205-A will further protect New York\u2019s immigrant communities by expanding DCWP\u2019s current outreach to educate about common immigration legal service scams, how to identify and avoid them, reputable immigration legal services, and how to report fraud through DCWP\u2019s complaint systems. I\u2019m proud that the Council is set to pass my Intro. 205-A, along with Council Member Won\u2019s Intro. 980-A, the boldest municipal legislation in the nation addressing this longstanding issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur immigrant communities deserve protection, not exploitation. With the passage of Intros 205-A and 980-A, New York City is making it unmistakably clear that we will not tolerate fraud masquerading as legal help,\u201d said Majority Leader Amanda Far\u00edas. <\/strong>\u201cThese bills crack down on predatory \u2018notario\u2019 schemes and expand the tools we need to educate and protect immigrant New Yorkers. I\u2019m proud to support this effort to hold bad actors accountable and ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of immigration status, has access to accurate, trustworthy legal support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when the demand for immigration legal services is so high, our families are particularly vulnerable to exploitative, widespread legal services fraud,\u201d said Chair of the NYC Council\u2019s Committee on Immigration, Alexa Avil\u00e9s.<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s crucial that our city works to seek out bad actors for the sake of protecting immigrant communities. I applaud Council Members Hanif and Won for introducing legislation to do so and am proud to be a co-sponsor of these bills. It is unconscionable that so many New Yorkers face deportation as a result of being sold fraudulent legal services, and with these new laws, our city government will work to reduce those cases.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I’m proud to support Council Members Julie Won and Shahana Hanif’s legislation that provides critical protections for immigrant communities. With a federal government focused on anti-immigrant policies, Intro 205-A and Intro 980-A do vital work to make New York City a leader in ending immigration scams,\u201d said Council Member Shekar Krishnan.<\/strong> \u201cFor the strong and diverse immigrant communities in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Woodside, Queens, this legislation will protect them from scammers, allow them to navigate the legal system more easily, and ensure they get quality legal assistance.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Lower Manhattan, we\u2019ve seen firsthand how immigration fraud devastates families\u2014whether it’s false promises, fake legal advice, or threats of ICE retaliation. These scams don\u2019t just rob our neighbors of money; they rob them of stability and hope,\u201d said Council Member Christopher Marte.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m proud to support this legislation because it responds directly to what our communities have been calling for: real accountability and real protections. By increasing penalties and expanding outreach, we are sending a clear message that New York City will defend its immigrant residents from exploitation at every turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are living in a moment when the fear of deportation is very real for many of our neighbors,\u201d said Councilmember Sandra Ung<\/strong>. \u201cUnfortunately, there are individuals out there who see that fear not as a call to compassion, but as an opportunity to exploit. They offer so-called immigration \u2018services\u2019 that are deceptive at best and outright fraudulent at worst, charging people thousands of dollars for promises they can\u2019t keep and paperwork that won\u2019t help. Regardless of immigration status, all New Yorkers deserve access to legal services that are trustworthy, transparent, and grounded in a real understanding of the law.  I am proud to stand with my colleagues to protect some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt La Colmena, we have seen how immigrant workers on Staten Island are among the most exploited by bad actors who falsely claim to be attorneys. These workers wake up every day to provide for their families, often while living with the constant fear of deportation, fear that makes them even more vulnerable to fraud and deception,\u201d said<\/strong> Yesenia Mata, Executive Director of La Colmena. \u201c<\/strong>They should not also have to face exploitation simply for seeking legal guidance. We are grateful to Council Members Hanif and Won for championing Intros 205-A and 980-A. These critical bills will help ensure that our immigrant community on Staten Island is better educated about common immigration scams and empowered to recognize and report fraud. Just as importantly, they will hold predatory actors accountable with stronger penalties. This is a major step forward in protecting the dignity and rights of immigrant New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Mixteca, we see firsthand how legal fraud devastates immigrant families, draining their limited resources, increasing stress and anxiety, and in many cases, leading to heartbreaking family separations,\u201d said<\/strong> Lorena Kourousias, Executive Director of Mixteca Organization, Inc.<\/strong> \u201cIn this political climate, where fear and uncertainty are high, the City Council\u2019s commitment to combat immigration legal fraud is both urgent and necessary. This investment is a powerful step toward protecting our community and ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers have access to trustworthy, culturally and linguistically appropriate legal support. We are proud to continue working alongside our city leaders Hanif and Won to defend the rights and dignity of those we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The most common type of fraud affecting New Yorkers today is notario <\/em>fraud. NYC immigrants are battling uncertainty on two fronts – dealing with their personal immigration cases and protecting themselves from unscrupulous notarios, who pretend to represent themselves as immigration attorneys when they are not. NICE applauds and supports the actions taken by City Council Members Hanif and Won on this front,\u201d said Hildalyn Colon Hernandez, NICE’s Chief Operations and Strategic Officer.<\/strong> \u201cCommunity Education and higher penalties for notary fraud prevention mean that NYC City Council and NYC stand for accountability against those bad actors who attempt to defraud our immigrant community members and this city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCatholic Migration Services applauds the City Council for passing one of the nation’s most expansive laws to protect immigrant New Yorkers from fraudulent immigration providers,\u201d said Magdalena Barbosa, Director of Legal Services and Senior Vice President.<\/strong> \u201cThe New York City Council understands that now, at a time of unprecedented fear and anxiety in immigrant communities, is the time to act to ensure immigrants understand the dangers of working with notarios and the importance of higher penalties to deter bad actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

About Council Member Shahana Hanif<\/a>: Council Member Shahana Hanif represents Brooklyn\u2019s 39th District and is Co-Chair of the New York City Council\u2019s Progressive Caucus and the Council\u2019s Task Force to Combat Hate. Born and raised in the 39th District to Bangladeshi immigrant parents, Council Member Hanif has dedicated her career to advocating for working-class families and advancing a city built on
care, equity, and safety. Since her election in 2021, Council Member Hanif has passed significant legislation, including\u00a0Local Law 85 (2023)<\/a>, which mandates universal residential composting;\u00a0Local Laws 75<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a076 (2022)<\/a>, which protect and expand abortion rights in NYC; and\u00a0Local Law 161 (2023)<\/a>, which created a pioneering Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights. She also enacted\u00a0Local Law 45 (2024)<\/a>,
providing survivors of domestic violence with free lock changes, personal safety alarms, and door and window repairs. Council Member Hanif is the first Muslim woman ever elected to the New York City Council and the first woman to represent the 39th District in the New York City Council.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

June 30, 2025\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Media Contacts:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Council Member Won: <\/strong>Farah Salam: <\/strong>fsalam@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | (646) 771-3240Council Member Hanif: <\/strong>Musarrat Lamia: mlamia@council.nyc.gov<\/a> | (646) 353-4549<\/p>\n

Amid the Rise in Anti-immigrant Policies Nationally, Council Member Hanif\u2019s <\/em>Intro 205-A<\/em><\/a> and Council Member Won\u2019s <\/em>Intro 980-A<\/em><\/a> will Protect Immigrant New Yorkers with Education on Common Scams and by Increasing Penalties on Predatory Actors<\/em><\/p>\n

City Hall, New York<\/strong>\u2013 Today, the New York City Council passed two bills to combat immigration legal service fraud, commonly known as \u201cnotario fraud.\u201d These are the most comprehensive efforts by a city to address this issue, amid the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies, leaving many immigrant communities fearful, anxious, and confused about their legal options to avoid detention and deportation.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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