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California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a public alert warning immigrant communities of an increase in immigration-related scams.
The warning comes in response to intensified immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump, which Bonta described as “cruel” and part of an “inhumane immigration agenda.”
The guidance includes tools for individuals seeking legal help or trying to locate detained loved ones, and highlights common scams such as notario fraud. As the document explains, in many Spanish-speaking nations, “notarios” are powerful attorneys with special legal credentials yet in the United States they are not authorized to provide people with any legal services related to immigration.
“Before hiring someone claiming to offer help with immigration matters or assistance locating a detained loved one, I urge people to familiarize themselves with existing resources that are often available at little or no cost,” said Bonta. Only licensed lawyers or accredited representatives are allowed to do so. Bonta advised verifying credentials through official bar or Department of Justice listings.
Bonta’s jab against the Trump administration comes weeks after filing a lawsuit with Governor Gavin Newsom challenging the federal government’s takeover of a California National Guard (CalGuard) unit, deployed in Los Angeles during protests sparked by aggressive ICE operations on June 6.
“President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive,” said Bonta at the time, while Newsom called the takeover “an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
Filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California (case no. 3:25-cv-04870-CRB), the lawsuit claims the federalization violated the U.S. Constitution and 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which requires gubernatorial consent. On June 12, Judge Charles R. Breyer granted California’s request for a temporary restraining order, but that ruling was stayed later that day by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
On June 19, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit upheld the stay, suggesting President Trump “likely had the authority” under Title 10 to federalize the Guard. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
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