Disclaimer: This is certainly not my final, and it will get better as I dig deeper – for example, I want to start with a scene, but I don’t have one yet – but here’s my best shot

When asylum seekers make the decision to make the journey to the United States, they often do so to flee some sort of trauma: organized crime, political violence, persecution based on some part of their identity. Then the journey itself is often treacherous and traumatic, full of dangers and people taking advantage of them – whether they knew of them beforehand or not. Once they get to the United States, some believe that the hardships are over. But even once they are initially processed, the trauma is far from over.

Immigration lawyer scams are as predatory as they are numerous. These scammers pose as lawyers that can help newly-arrived immigrants navigate the US’s complex immigration system. They take the money upfront – sometimes the little that the migrants have left – and disappear, never to be heard from again. And because of the migrants’ fear of the legal system and lack of understanding, the scammers often go unpunished.