California State Bar seizes illegal law office in Livermore

LIVERMORE – The State Bar of California on Wednesday announced the seizure of a Livermore law office that offered immigration help but whose owner they say was not actually a licensed attorney.

The move follows a complaint a family filed in 2024 alleging that Irene Carlota Raygoza, owner of Del Valle Professional Services, mishandled their immigration case.

In 2019, the family tried to secure lawful permanent residency for the wife and their two children. Raygoza submitted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-751 on their behalf, but she did not include the required biometrics fee for the eldest son, the State Bar's Office of Chief Trial Counsel, or OCTC, said in a news release.

Without the fee, USCIS could not process the son's part of the application and he was left at risk of having to leave the United States for up to 22 years, according to the OCTC.

The OCTC said the family believed they were receiving qualified legal assistance from Raygoza but later learned she had never been authorized to practice law. The family reported significant financial, emotional and mental stress as a result of her actions.

"This case underscores the serious harm that can occur when someone who is not licensed to practice law takes on complex immigration matters," said State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona. "This family trusted that they were receiving legitimate legal guidance, and instead their son's future in this country was put in peril due to unqualified and unlawful conduct."

The Alameda County Superior Court approved an interim order giving the OCTC control over Del Valle Professional Services. On April 16, the OCTC seized four boxes with 97 files and downloaded numerous clients' immigration documents from a pair of computers.

Clients of Raygoza can retrieve their files by calling the State Bar of California at 415-538-2349.

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