WASHINGTON—The U.S. government will unveil a national initiative to combat immigration services scams on June 9 at 1 p.m. The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are leading this historic effort.
DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the lead agency responsible for administering the U.S. legal immigration system, will announce the initiative while hosting events in seven cities around the country as well as the national launch in Washington, D.C.
The unauthorized practice of immigration law is an exploitative practice that endangers the integrity of our immigration system and victimizes members of the immigrant community. Understanding the gravity of this deceptive practice, federal, state and local partners have come together to combat immigration services scams on all fronts. The initiative is set upon three pillars: enforcement, education, and continued collaboration. Each agency plays a critical role to ensure the success of this national effort.
This initiative exemplifies how government and community can work together to effectively address a serious problem.
| WHO: | Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, USCIS, DHS John Morton, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, DOJ Edith Ramirez, Commissioner, FTC Juan Osuna, Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ |
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| WHEN: | Thursday, June 9, 2011, 1 p.m. EDT |
| WHERE: | U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Tomich Center 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. |
| CONTACT: | Luz Figuereo Irazabal USCIS Media Relations 202-272-1206; [email protected] |
| NOTES: | For planning purposes, media attending are requested to RSVP to [email protected] by close of business June 8, 2011. |