The Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown has pushed people without legal status to do whatever they can to resolve their cases. That urgency has also been exploited by others.
Such was the case in Orlando, Florida, where authorities say an immigration firm defrauded millions of dollars, mostly from Brazilian migrants.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Legacy Imigra marketed legal services primarily to Brazilians in Florida and collected nearly $20 million over the past three years through fraudulent practices.
The scheme included creating fake emails in clients' names and then threatening to withhold documents unless additional payments were made, the outlet reported. Investigators said the seven victims who cooperated in the case lost between $2,500 and $26,000.
"The victims told our agents that once they were financially committed and began making payments, Legacy Imigra escalated its control," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said.
Authorities uncovered the scheme after a licensed attorney reported it to law enforcement, though Legacy Imigra had already drawn scrutiny for years. The Better Business Bureau received multiple complaints dating back to 2024 citing poor communication, conflicting information and clients paying thousands of dollars for cases that were never filed.
"I paid $2,500 for their services, which were done incorrectly," one complaint dated Nov. 19 states, accusing the firm of misleading a client about an asylum case. "I am now incurring additional costs paying a licensed attorney to correct their mistake. Legacy Imigra refuses to fix the error, will not refund my money, and is illegally holding my work permit unless I pay an additional $500."
As the Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Attorney General's Office continue to investigate, the firm's founder, Vagner Soares de Almeida, his wife Juliana Colucci and two associates have been charged with organized fraud, racketeering, extortion and related offenses. They are being held in the Orange County Jail on immigration detainers.
"Our partners at Homeland Security say they believe this might be the biggest immigration fraud case they've ever seen," Mina said.
In addition to the four main suspects, 10 others were taken into custody during the operation, according to the U.S.-based outlet Brazilian Times. Mina said those individuals were living in the country without legal status and were turned over to immigration authorities.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that some of the affected migrants may now qualify for U visas, which offer temporary legal status and a potential path to permanent residency for victims of certain crimes who cooperate with law enforcement.
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