Madigan sues Joliet woman for immigration services scam

A southwest suburban woman operated a scam to get Illinois residents to pay her thousands of dollars for unlicensed immigration services, according to a lawsuit filed recently by Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Madigan filed the lawsuit Thursday in Cook County against Norma Bonilla, who is alleged to have defrauded at least four people out of more than $10,000 to secure immigration statuses for which they were not actually eligible.

"This scam exploited immigrants at a time when many are seeking assistance due to the recent federal executive actions," Madigan said in a statement. "Preying on immigrants' fears and confusion is an appalling scheme, and this lawsuit seeks to stop this fraud."

Madigan alleges Bonilla is not a licensed attorney or employed by an immigration attorney or any agency authorized to provide immigration assistance services. She also never registered with the attorney general's office, as required by state law, the lawsuit states.

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