My experience with attorney Alexis I. Torres was extremely negative. I'm sharing this because it concerns something as serious as my political asylum application and my future in the United States. I am Cuban. I arrived in the United States on April 27, 2022, seeking protection. My case was related to the problems I faced in Cuba due to my political opinions, my participation in the July 11, 2021, protests, my connection to Freemasonry, and other instances of persecution. I hired the attorney to represent me in my immigration process. Our agreement was verbal for $6,000 to handle my case until I obtained my residency, of which I paid him approximately $5,000. I never received or signed a written fee agreement that clearly explained the services, how those fees would be charged, or the terms of the agreement. This concerns me because California Business and Professions Code §6148, subject to certain exceptions, requires a written contract when it is reasonably foreseeable that the client's total expenses, including attorney's fees, will exceed $1,000. But my biggest concern isn't just the money. I was never given my completed I-589 application to review before filing it. I didn't have the opportunity to read each answer, verify my account, or approve the document as submitted. When I later obtained my file and was able to review the I-589, I found statements that don't accurately reflect my true story. For example, it states that after the July 2021 protests, I was detained "multiple times," which doesn't accurately describe what happened. The "No" answer is also marked when the form asks about membership or association with organizations or groups, even though my connection to Freemasonry and the issues surrounding it are a significant part of my story. What I consider most serious is the signature. On the page where the applicant certifies under penalty of perjury the information on Form I-589, there is a signature attributed to me, dated July 18, 2022. I do not recognize that signature as mine and affirm that I did not make it. I also do not recall authorizing anyone else to sign in that manner on my behalf. Furthermore, the section intended to identify the person who prepared the form is essentially blank in my file copy. Subsequently, on May 28, 2024, the attorney filed this previously submitted Form I-589 with USCIS in Immigration Court. Therefore, according to the documents I have, an application that I maintain I never had the opportunity to review or approve, with statements that do not accurately reflect my history and a signature I do not recognize as my own, ended up as part of my file in Immigration Court. Of the approximately $5,000 I paid, the representation we agreed upon was never completed. In my experience, he attended my first court hearing and performed certain actions in my case, but he did not complete the process for which I understood I had hired him. I requested a refund of $2,500, half of what I paid, but he has refused to return it. I will continue to use the appropriate legal and administrative procedures to seek a fair resolution. I also filed a complaint with the State Bar of California regarding this representation. This review reflects my personal experience and the documents in my own case file that I was later able to review. I retain documentation related to what is described here. My advice to any immigrant: read every page personally before it is submitted, demand copies of your documents, obtain the terms of the fees in writing, and verify any signature that appears on your behalf.
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