Many undocumented immigrants arrested at an Idaho racetrack are being detained in Nevada and other states, making it harder for attorneys and family to find them
Dreams bring immigrants to the United States - under legal circumstances and otherwise. Sometimes the dreams are so powerful they make people do desperate things. And desperate people are easy prey for scams, like one unfolding now in Utah. Pamela Manson of the Salt Lake Tribune reports on a woman who has been accused by the Utah State Bar of posing as an attorney and taking money from scores of illegal immigrants - many of whom belonged to her same church -- in exchange for bogus promises to help them get legal papers. The woman has denied the allegations, and a federal investigation did not produce criminal charges, according to the Tribune report.
That such scams occur is not surprising. There have been others recently.
What is surprising, is that those immigrants who stepped forward to help immigration officers try to expose fraud, are now being deported. The immigrants say they were promised a chance to stay in the country legally, if they helped.
Immigration officials say they never promised. Some people would call that miscommunication. Some people would call that a scam.
Luis Maco is one of those waiting under threat of deportation. He agreed to wear a wire for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He's waiting now to hear whether he will be deported to Peru, and separated from his family.
"For a person coming from another country, the American dream is bigger than to an American," Maco said in the Tribune's story. "It's a dream becoming a nightmare."
The story you just read is only possible because readers like you support our mission to uncover truths that matter. If you value this reporting, help us continue producing high-impact investigations that drive real-world change. Your donation today ensures we can keep asking tough questions and bringing critical issues to light. Join us — because fearless, independent journalism depends on you!
Former employees and patients describe ethical lapses, shoddy records and worse at cosmetic surgery clinic — raising concerns about oversight in the booming industry
A new law is aimed at supporting doula and lactation workers, but many say the success of those reforms depends on whether the state can fix persistent payment problems
Many undocumented immigrants arrested at an Idaho racetrack are being detained in Nevada and other states, making it harder for attorneys and family to find them
Former employees and patients describe ethical lapses, shoddy records and worse at cosmetic surgery clinic — raising concerns about oversight in the booming industry
Get the inside scoop in your inbox, free.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletters and never miss an investigation.
TRIPLE your gift today!
From now until Dec. 31, NewsMatch and a generous local donor will each match community donations, matching your new monthly donation 12 times or TRIPLE your new one-time gift, all up to $1,000.
