An attorney in Washington state is accused of orchestrating a large-scale scam that defrauded tens of thousands of immigrants seeking legal status in the United States. Alexandra Lozano allegedly created fake stories of domestic abuse and human trafficking to apply for humanitarian visas without her clients' knowledge, according to multiple lawsuits and a legal ethics investigation.
Clients say Lozano preyed on their desperation, charging them tens of thousands of dollars while leaving them at risk of deportation. The attorney is accused of hiring unqualified staff to build an assembly-line system for applications, sometimes copying clients' signatures onto documents they never saw. Lozano has permanently surrendered her law license and denies any wrongdoing.
Lozano's firm, Luz del Camino Legal, closed on June 10 amid a barrage of allegations. Her signature is on more than 53,000 pending cases, according to the state bar. It remains unclear how many of these cases involved fraud or the extent to which clients were aware of any alleged deception.
Exploiting Humanitarian Protections
Lozano specialized in visas obtained through the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. These programs are designed to protect victims of abuse and trafficking from having their immigration status used against them by abusers. While these laws have more flexible evidence standards, making them accessible to legitimate victims, immigration attorneys say the programs are also vulnerable to exploitation.
Attorneys representing dozens of Lozano's former clients allege that the firm would probe clients for personal issues at home or work and then spin these as abuse cases that did not meet the threshold for humanitarian programs. Although clients often quickly secured work permits, they later encountered significant problems when seeking permanent residency, as their claims faced increased scrutiny.
Rise in Scams and Increased Scrutiny
The alleged scheme by Lozano occurs as federal data shows a sharp increase in immigration service scams. In 2025, at least 920 immigration service scams were reported, more than the first three years of the Biden administration combined, according to Federal Trade Commission data analyzed by the Associated Press. Experts suggest this number is likely an undercount given immigrants' general reluctance to report such incidents.
The Trump administration began overhauling humanitarian visa programs in 2025, citing a surge in applications since 2020 as evidence of widespread fraud. These changes included tightening program restrictions and slowing processing rates, actions that advocacy groups argue will negatively impact genuine victims.
In December, the immigration agency announced plans to overhaul its domestic violence visa program due to "rampant fraud." The proposed changes include narrowing definitions of abuse and giving more weight to evidence supplied by alleged abusers. However, attorneys with organizations like the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors argue that making these visas harder for actual victims is not the solution, advocating instead for stricter enforcement against attorneys engaged in fraudulent practices.
Allegations of Fabricated Information
According to former employees, Lozano enlisted hundreds of workers in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina to provide legal advice and handle visa applications, meaning clients may not have received consultations from a U.S.-licensed attorney. One former employee, Rafael Alvarez, who worked for Lozano from 2022 to 2024 in Colombia, stated that Lozano instructed employees to "please invent more information about the abuse because it is not real abuse."
Erika Sanchez and her husband, who entered the U.S. unlawfully, were told by multiple lawyers that they could not adjust their status domestically. Lozano, however, promised a successful outcome after a single consultation in 2020, according to a lawsuit filed by the couple. They paid Lozano more than $32,000, trusting the firm and providing signatures on blank paper. Sanchez claims they never saw the application submitted by the firm, which later contained false allegations that her husband's teenage daughter had abused him. He is now in removal proceedings.
Some former clients reported discovering the alleged fraud years later. Nora Murillo Moreno stated that the firm informed her of the fabricated abuse claims the day before her green card interview, forcing her to choose between recounting the truth or adhering to the falsified information in her application.
Firm's Operations and Legal Repercussions
Lozano's former chief operating officer, Amy Rios, testified in 2024 that the firm generated $1.7 million by teaching other law firms its strategies for humanitarian visas, claiming to have "changed the way many attorneys now approach immigration law." Recent lawsuits suggest at least two other firms in Texas and Ohio may be employing similar tactics, though these firms deny the allegations.
In May, the Washington bar accused Lozano of fraud. The bar had previously expressed concerns about her practice in 2023 but dismissed an ethics complaint regarding deceptive advertising and misconduct, citing disclaimers that protected her. The bar has since blocked Lozano from practicing law.
Former clients are now seeking to retrieve their case files from the defunct firm and have attended consultations with volunteer attorneys. Many have joined lawsuits seeking financial compensation for legal malpractice and to recoup attorney fees. Vicente Omar Barraza, an attorney involved in a malpractice lawsuit, noted that hundreds of former clients do not know what their applications contained and expressed concern that many may have lost viable pathways to legal status.