Hundreds come forward after KING 5 investigation into Seattle-area immigration attorney

Ajouté : 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]The attorneys behind the lawsuit say they now have to go through more than 800 intake forms, all reporting similar issues with their cases.

[00:00:10]Last week at attorney Omar Barazza's office in South Seattle, a handful of plaintiffs gathered to speak about their cases.

[00:00:20]Including Gabriel Martinez Garcia, who was one step away from receiving legal status.

[00:00:26]Instead, he says immigration attorney Alexandra Lozano pushed him to apply for an abuse-based immigration pathway known as VAWA. She didn't explain me what was VAWA. She didn't explain me the documents.

[00:00:40]I had to find my own way by Googling it.

[00:00:42]Garcia is now in limbo, waiting to have his case corrected.

[00:00:46]>> And other people, I think, will benefit indirectly from this lawsuit because we're creating a record.

[00:00:52]>> Co-counsels Omar Barazza and Art Bombs tick saw the problem and set up a website, lozanocivilaction.com.

[00:01:02]Since the suit was filed and following the King 5 investigation, Bombs tick says at least 300 more people have come forward claiming they too are victims of Lozano's practices. They're now examining more than 800 intake forms total. King 5 uncovered complaints made to the Washington Attorney General's office alleging similar issues with some dating back years.

[00:01:25]We reached out to the Washington State Bar Association in November asking for any grievances or complaints involving Lozano. The bar said those records are not public and that disciplinary records for an attorney are confidential. They issued the same response after the lawsuit was filed last week. Several immigration attorneys who spoke to us on condition of anonymity also raised concerns about oversight.

[00:01:50]They know the state's bar's senior disciplinary counsel, Henry Cruz, is Lozano's former spouse. Documents show they were married from 2009 to 2011. In written statements to KING 5, those attorneys said, "Alexander Lozano should be treated the same as any other attorney accused of engaging in a long-running scheme that has harmed immigrant communities." Another said, "I do not accept that the WSBA is unaware of the fraud, and to know that her ex-husband is senior disciplinary counsel at the state bar, and to my knowledge has not commented on the lawsuit or recused himself is fairly outrageous."

[00:02:28]We have reached out to the Washington State Bar Association, and they said they acknowledge it can be frustrating to see people discussing things publicly while the disciplinary records remain confidential. They also said they have safeguards in place to avoid conflicts of interest when it comes to looking at attorneys who have grievances filed against them. So, what's happening with the lawsuits now, and do you expect more plaintiffs are going to be added to this? Yeah, Joyce, the more the attorneys say yes, they are looking at adding more plaintiffs to the current nine who are on there now. And again, I would like to remind everybody that this is not an investigation, it is a civil lawsuit and not a criminal one.

[00:03:05]Still shocking. Thank you. Thank you.