Last month, I filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The brief was submitted in opposition to a motion to dismiss by the Government. The Government was seeking dismissal because the petition for review was filed in the Second Circuit after the Board of Immigration Appeals rendered a decision that granted withholding of removal, but denied asylum, and remanded the case to the Immigration Judge to conduct background checks. On behalf of AILA, I argued that it was proper for the petitioner to file the brief at this time and that the petitioner should not have to wait for the completion of the background checks to file the petition for review.
Archives for July 2012
Dirty Secret About Criminals Who Sell Fraudulent Immigration Papers
It probably shouldn’t be necessary to tell non-citizens not to purchase fraudulent immigration papers, so that they appear to be legal. It’s against the law and you should know not to break the law. I understand that it’s difficult to live in the United States without papers. However, there’s another reason why you shouldn’t buy fake immigration papers.
I have been practicing immigration law since 1997. I regularly see non-citizens get placed into removal proceedings because they purchase fake I-94 stamps, green cards, U.S. birth certificates, naturalization certificates, and U.S. passports. These people always get caught the same way: the people who sell the fraudulent documents keep lists of everyone that they sell fake papers to, so that if they ever get caught they can make a deal with the prosecutors. If you buy these fake papers, it is inevitable that you will be caught. This is because when the Government catches the person who you bought the fake papers from, your dealer in fake documents is going to give the prosecutor your name, so that he spends less time in jail. It’s just not worth it to purchase fake immigration documents.
Moreover, pretending to be a U.S. citizen when you are not is the immigration “kiss of death.” There is nothing that will save you from deportation, if you falsely claim to be a U.S. citizen. Just don’t do it!