You probably found this page because you are a U.S. citizen who married an immigrant. You petitioned for the immigrant to come to the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident. You agreed to support the immigrant financially. You paid the filing costs and attorney fees for the immigrant to come to the USA. The immigrant is your spouse or you agreed to help out a relative or firned as a co-sponsor. The immigrant is now a U.S. Permanent Resident and is now suing you for support based on the I-864 Contract that you signed agreeing to support him or her.

The I-864 Contract is between the sponsor(s) and the U.S. Government. The immigrant is a third party beneficiary with standing to enforce the contract. There are five events that terminate the Contract. Four of the terminating events are pretty clear. However, there are defenses to the enforcement of the I-864 Affidavit of Support other than the terminating events. There may be defenses that totally terminate your obligation and there may be defenses that limit your obligation. Whether you have any defenses depends on your personal situation and that of the beneficiary who is suing you.

A lawsuit based on the I-864 contract, whether it is pursuant to divorce in state court or breach of contract in federal court, is more about contracts than it is about immigration. It is based on a federal statute. State courts have no authority to alter the terms of the contract. Federal courts may interpret the federal stuatute to determine whether your defenses apply.

Attorney Mulder has more than 37 years of experience. The I-864 Affidavit of Support is an area that she focuses on. There are very few attorneys in the U.S. with knowledge and experience in this area.

Before agreeing to represent you in litigation, Attorney Mulder will conduct a thorough review of your situation to determine your defenses. She will let you know whether you have defenses to enforcement. It is rare that a sponsor has no defenses to enforcement.

In my over 37 years as a licensed attorney I have seen thousands of immigrants come to this country. The work hard, they pay their own way. However it is becoming more ad more common for immigrants to knowingly and with a plan come to the United states to live off the tax payer and well meaning sponsors who lonly wanted to help. Don’t be a victim of immigrtion fraud.