In one of his most contentious and unsubstantiated claims to date, former reality star and current president Donald Trump claims he lost the popular vote in the 2016 election because between three to five million illegal immigrants voted for his opponent. So far, no proof of the fraud has been apparent, but from this claim to his promise to build a wall between Mexico and the United States, Trump has proven himself to be no friend of immigrants.
Besides using the idea of building a wall between the countries as one of his campaign platforms, Trump has also attempted to put in place a travel ban that includes six predominately Muslim countries. While the ban has been put into effect in part, many of its provisions have been watered down or excluded altogether because of judges’ rulings throughout the U.S. and in the Supreme Court.
Immigration Fraud Exists
However, while Trump’s claims of three to five million illegal immigrants voting in the 2016 election has been proved several times to be unfounded, what hasn’t been disproved is that immigration fraud itself may be occurring and may be on the uptick because of Trump’s actions. It is not, though, the fraud that Trump appears to be fighting.
Scams Against Immigrants
Instead, it is predatory scamming taking advantage of both legal and illegal immigrants who wish to remain in the country but fear being thrown out.
NBC News, in a story from April 5, describes in detail the desperation of many of the immigrants and the scams that are being used for those desperate for documentation to stay in the U.S. In the story, Enrique Morones, the founder of a San Diego nonprofit organization named Border Angels, describes individuals being bilked of between $500 to $5,000 for immigration documents, only to find the person offering the services vanished, leaving the individuals with no legal recourse.
The story also reports about individuals posing as customs officials and fake ICE or Border Agents in New York using their alleged status to demand money from individuals. In Arizona, phone scams are being used by people claiming to be immigration officials, and NBC reports the formation of the Refugee Justice League in Utah, a group of attorneys working to uncover immigration scams.
Election Group Worries
A story in the Los Angeles Times suggests that Trump’s formation of a federal election group could lead to other types of fraud. On July 24, a Washington dourt cleared the Trump administration’s election commission to collect voter information in every state. Trump’s group had demanded voter information from each of the states in order to check for fraud. However, many states refused to comply, and several lawsuits were filed. With the court’s clearing of the government’s demand, though, it is feared public information from voters may be released, and much of the information could be used for other types of fraud, most likely including identity theft.
While there has been little conclusive evidence to prove whether Trump’s contentions are accurate or not, the only thing that is certain is that during his administration, for the right or wrong reasons, fraud of all types has increased.
If you or a loved one has been accused or arrested because of immigration status or immigration fraud let Dan Carman and Attorneys, PLLC help. Dan Carman and Attorneys have represented countless clients throughout Kentucky to ensure that they are treated fairly, providing an aggressive defense to achieve the best possible result. With attorneys in nearly every county in the state, we have the ability and the knowledge to give you the best defense possible, no matter where you live. If you have questions or seek a consultation, contact us online or at 859-685-1055 as soon as possible.