Following some accusations that Gypsum-based accredited representative Hector Gonzalez has misrepresented himself as an attorney, he told The Sopris Sun that he is not a lawyer and has never told anyone otherwise.
A recent article in the Vail Daily covered a specific claim that Gonzalez misrepresented himself as an attorney. The newspaper had previously identified Gonzalez as a lawyer in a July article last year, and has since corrected the record. Gonzalez pointed out the misnomer himself in the comments about a week after the initial Vail Daily story was posted on Facebook in July.
In a March 19 article last year, The Sopris Sun introduced Gonzalez as he had himself: an immigration advocate licensed to practice immigration law through the Department of Justice (DOJ). Although, an accredited representative comes with significant limitations compared to a licensed attorney, and does not require the same prerequisites.
Gonzalez clarified the distinction, and that he was not an attorney, after The Sopris Sun and Sol del Valle had joined him on a talkshow hosted by Axel Contreras on La Nueva Mix, a Spanish-language radio station based in Glenwood Springs. Gonzalez answered reporters’ questions for an article meant to inform readers about immigrants’ rights ahead of impending Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns. The Sun had spoken separately with Jennifer Smith, who is, in fact, an immigration attorney, based in Glenwood for the same article that was printed in both Spanish and English.
The Sun acknowledges that the original headline of the story, “Immigration attorneys encourage undocumented residents to have a plan, and a lawyer,” could have been misleading because only one of the interviewees for the story was an attorney. Both articles have since been updated.
Contreras hosts the talkshow with Gonzalez on Wednesdays at 5pm, and confirmed that he has referred to Gonzalez as “abogado” on the air, which translates to attorney. He explained that the translation for “accredited representative” is not a common term in Spanish.
Contreras added that the two of them had talked about the distinction several times on the program, and that Gonzalez has been transparent with the listeners. Gonzalez also noted the distinction was explained “a lot of times” and that he never referred to himself as an “abogado” on the show, but acknowledged that Contreras had. Following the recent article in the Vail Daily, the two spent an entire segment addressing the story and Gonzalez’s credentials.
According to the recent Vail Daily article, Smith filed a complaint against Gonzalez for allegedly misrepresenting himself. “I initially reached out to the Office of Attorney Regulation in Colorado to communicate with [Gonzalez] about how his abilities were represented, as there were some radio, digital and print materials that indicated he was a licensed attorney,” Smith told The Sopris Sun.
Alex Sanchez of Voces Unidas de las Montañas told The Sun that he has met with several people who felt they had been misled regarding Gonzalez’s credentials. He also believes that the public has been misled, noting that he has spoken with reporters who also believed Gonzalez was an attorney.
“Our concern with Hector is that his clients believe he is an attorney,” Sanchez said. “We can see how an everyday person could easily confuse him for an attorney.”
What is an accredited rep?
The Recognition and Accreditation Program, which manages accredited representatives and is overseen by the DOJ, began “over 60 years ago to increase the availability of competent legal representation for low-income and indigent persons in immigration proceedings,” according to the DOJ webpage.
Gonzalez explained that he completed a two-year program online through Villanova University, meant specifically for people pursuing careers as accredited representatives. It took another year after initiating the process with the DOJ to get his accreditation. He added that annual “continuing education” courses are required to maintain accreditation.
Sanchez pointed out that “immigration court” is an administrative process, and accredited representatives are not permitted to practice outside those settings, which are solely within: the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Accredited representatives must be associated with a nonprofit, charity or religious institution, because the program is intended to provide an affordable option for immigrant clients. Gonzalez already had a church, Connect Church, and created Connect Immigration as a separate nonprofit, of which he is the executive director. Connect Immigration also advertises a presence in Colorado Springs and Lakewood.
Sanchez said that Connect Immigration seems to be run more like a business, and brought up a promotional video on its website that makes it look “like a New York firm … [with] people in suits.”
Smith shares Sanchez’s concern. “Several people have indicated that the fees charged by Hector and his organization are not geared toward serving primarily low-income and indigent clients,” she said, adding that accredited representative nonprofits are required to submit fee schedules for federal review.
Gonzalez said that Connect Immigration “works off a sliding scale,” and, depending on a client’s income, rates are reduced or can be waived — another requirement per the DOJ, he added. “We have about 30-something cases that are pro-bono,” he said. He claimed that the rates are roughly 25-50% compared to respective attorney fees.
“I’m not here to misrepresent myself,” Gonzalez said. “I’m very transparent and open about who I am and what I do, what my capabilities are and what my capacit[ies] are.”