A lawyer based in Washington state allegedly assured tens of thousands of immigrants pursuing legal residency in the United States that he could deliver “miracles” in helping them secure their status.
However, according to multiple lawsuits and an ongoing legal ethics inquiry, Alexandra Lozano allegedly submitted humanitarian visa applications using fabricated claims of domestic violence and human trafficking without informing her clients.
The complaints accuse her of exploiting vulnerable immigrants seeking legal status, collecting large sums of money while exposing them to possible deportation consequences.
She is also alleged to have employed staff without the required legal qualifications and operated a high-volume processing system that hurried applications through the process, including reportedly reproducing clients’ signatures on paperwork they had never reviewed.
“I put the trust of my family with her,” 30-year-old Gabriel Martinez Garcia said. After they paid $30,000, he said Lozano duped his family and got his mother placed in removal proceedings despite her marriage to a naturalized U.S. citizen. “We believed in her and then she just let us down.”
Lozano’s legal practice, Luz del Camino Legal, shut down earlier this month following a wave of allegations against the firm. Rather than proceed through disciplinary action by the bar association, she chose to permanently give up her licence to practise law, while maintaining that she had done nothing wrong.
Although federal records indicate that immigration-related scams have increased significantly in recent years, the allegations involving Lozano have drawn particular attention because of their scale. According to the bar association, her signature appears on more than 53,000 immigration cases that are still pending.
It remains uncertain how many of the cases contained false information or whether clients were aware of what was submitted on their behalf. However, individuals who have filed lawsuits against Lozano insist they had no knowledge of the alleged actions.
Erika Gonzalez, an attorney with Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, said the fallout from Lozano’s collapse is creating overwhelming pressure on the immigration system, describing its impact as “like a tidal wave.”
Last year, the administration of President Donald Trump began introducing changes to the humanitarian immigration programmes that Lozano is accused of taking advantage of, arguing that the sharp increase in applications since 2020 pointed to large-scale abuse of the system.
As part of the overhaul, stricter eligibility measures were introduced, and application processing slowed. Advocacy organisations, however, warned that the changes could make it harder for genuine victims to access protection and support.
Lozano built her legal practice around securing immigration relief through humanitarian pathways established under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, legislation that applies to people of all genders.
Lozano built her legal practice around securing immigration relief through humanitarian pathways established under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, legislation that applies to people of all genders.
According to lawyers representing dozens of Lozano’s former clients, her firm allegedly questioned clients about personal difficulties at home or in the workplace and then framed those experiences as abuse claims that did not qualify under the requirements of humanitarian immigration programmes.
While many clients reportedly received work permits within a short period, problems later emerged when they attempted to obtain permanent residency, as their applications came under more detailed review.
