Immigrant Advocate Charged With Failing To Help Clients
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An immigrant rights advocate known for helping two children get highly-publicized meetings with Pope Francis has been charged with practicing law without a license and failing to help clients who paid her thousands of dollars to secure residency status for them.
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said Thursday 65-year-old Gloria Saucedo was charged with three counts of violating the Immigration Consultants Act and two counts of practicing law without a license.
Saucedo helped 10-year-old Jersey Vargas travel to see the pope in 2014 and 5-year-old Sophie Cruz embrace him on his trip to Washington last year.
Authorities say one of Saucedo's clients, who paid her $2,500, was ordered to leave the country after Saucedo didn't file immigration papers for her.
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