The Texas Attorney General’s office won a verdict against a Weslaco, TX business that offered unauthorized legal services to immigrants last week.  A Hidalgo county jury awarded over $1 million against Ruth and John Thomas and their business, Trámites Migratorios (Immigration Proceedings).  The verdict included over $900,000 in restitution to consumers under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), in addition to civil penalties and attorney’s fees.

The jury determined that the business and its owners violated the DTPA and a new law prohibiting notaries public from representing themselves as attorneys and charging fees to prepare and submit immigration documents.  Attorney General Greg Abbott sued Trámites Migratorios and its owners last February, claiming that they were unlawfully providing legal services without authorization from federal immigration officials or a license to practice law.

Federal law requires that companies offering immigration consulting services be non-profit agencies accredited by the Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals.  The defendants were neither properly accredited, nor are they licensed attorneys.

Additionally, a criminal action is pending against Ruth Thomas for allegedly misusing her license as a notary public.  In Texas, notary commissions allow the holder to witness the signing of legal documents.  Scam artists have long exploited the misunderstanding between the term “notary” and the similar-sounding Spanish term “notation,” used in Latin America to address highly experienced attorneys.  Texas law specifically forbids notaries from providing immigration services unless they hold a separate license to practice law.