U.S Attorney Charges Chester Co Woman with Immigration Fraud Seeks to Identify Other Victims

The United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Fatima DeMaria, 65, of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with eight counts of asylum fraud and eight counts of mail fraud. DeMaria is the owner and operator of Immigration Matters Legal Services, currently located in Oxford, Pa.

The indictment alleges that the defendant falsely represented herself to clients and prospective clients as an immigration attorney who could help undocumented aliens obtain employment authorization or “work permits.” However, DeMaria was neither a licensed attorney, nor accredited or authorized by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) to represent individuals in immigration proceedings.

As alleged, from at least December 2021 to July 2024, DeMaria prepared, and caused to be prepared, fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications in her clients’ names, without their knowledge or consent, knowingly making, and aiding and abetting the making of, false and material misstatements in the I-589 asylum applications.

For example, the defendant caused to be stated on each asylum application that the applicant was “seeking asylum or withholding of removal” based on “political opinion” and “Torture Convention.” Her clients, however, were not seeking asylum based on either of these categories, and never informed DeMaria or anyone at Immigration Matters Legal Services of facts that could make them eligible for asylum under either of these categories.

According to the indictment, DeMaria placed, and caused to be placed, her clients’ signatures on the Form I-589 asylum applications, certifying under penalty of perjury that the applications and supporting evidence were true and correct, again without her clients’ knowledge or consent.

The indictment further alleges that the defendant, and those acting at her direction, failed to advise clients that the mechanism through which she would help them obtain work permits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was by filing frivolous Form I-589 asylum applications. Nor did the defendant advise clients that, if the asylum applications filed on their behalf were rejected or referred by USCIS, it would result in their being placed in removal proceedings, at which point the filing of the baseless asylum application could jeopardize their eligibility for future immigration benefits.

According to the indictment, DeMaria charged her clients approximately $6,000-9,000 per individual, and $12,000-$15,000 per couple, for her purported legal services in conjunction with their applications. As alleged in the indictment, she also frequently had her clients pay her in cash or peer-to-peer transactions that were deposited into her personal bank accounts, hundreds of thousands of dollars of which were withdrawn at casinos.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 240 years’ imprisonment and a $4 million fine. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the defendant’s alleged ill-gotten earnings, which are alleged to be at least $1 million.

This is an ongoing matter, with investigators seeking to identify additional potential victims of Fatima DeMaria. Anyone with information on DeMaria’s activities at Immigration Matters Legal Services is asked to contact the FBI via one of these online forms:

Seeking Victim Information in Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters Investigation

Se Solicita Información en la Investigación de Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters

The case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. USCIS, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Eileen Castilla Geiger.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.