AB 1079 was prompted by complaints from consumer groups and other agencies, concerned that recent California immigrants have been financially exploited by immigration consultants whose job is to assist them with the red tape relative to immigration matters. Agents giving false promises of assistance or special influence with the INS defraud victims of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Immigrants are often reluctant to complain.
There is no excuse for hardworking immigrants trying to enter the country legally to be financially defrauded by unscrupulous immigration consultants, said Assemblyman Bob Pacheco. It is my hope that imposing stiffer financial punishment and jail time will be a deterrent to such exploitation, the Assemblyman further stated. I know that there are many honest immigration consultants who are doing an outstanding job of representing their customers, however, there are always bad apples who make legislation such as this necessary, Assemblyman Pacheco concluded.