California I-864 Affidavit of Support enforcement lawyers.
We represent clients in federal lawsuits to enforce the USCIS From I-864 Affidavit of Support throughout California.
Our California-based Affidavit of Support litigation is coordinated with attorney Patrick Kolasinski. Patrick is a seasoned trial attorney with experience in both immigration and criminal law.
Patrick Kolasinski
The Law Offices of Patrick Kolasinski
1120 14th Street, Suite 400
Modesto, CA 95354
Examples of our Form I-864 Affidavit of Support enforcement litigation in California.
We have successfully represented more plaintiffs in California lawsuits to enforce the Affidavit of Support than any other law firm. Examples of our success in federal court include:
Asare v. Jemison, No. 2:19-cv-7638 (Central District of California)
We represented the plaintiff in this lawsuit to enforce the Affidavit of Support, which resulted in the Affidavit sponsor facing a default judgment.
Burklater v. Burkhalter, No. 5:19-cv-272 (Central District of California).
In this case, our client was awarded damages under the Affidavit of Support following a federal jury trial in the Central District of California.
Cyrousi v. Kashyap, No. 2:17-cv-5467 (Central District of California).
This successful Affidavit of Support lawsuit resulted in a published decision holding that sponsors cannot use contract law defenses to avoid liability. Cyrousi v. Kashyap, 386 F. Supp. 3d 1278 (C.D. Cal. 2019). Nor can sponsors avoid liability based on anything that was including in a marital (nuptial) agreement.
Dorsaneo v. Dorsaneo, No. 3:17-cv-765 (Northern District of California)
This case resulted in a published decision establishing the landmark ruling that sponsors have no defenses in lawsuits to enforce the Form I-864. See Dorsaneo v. Dorsaneo, 261 F. Supp. 3d 1052, 1054–55 (N.D. Cal. 2017) (holding that fraud in the inducement and estoppel cannot be defenses to an I-864 enforcement action, “because it would place lawful permanent residents at risk of becoming dependent on the government for subsistence”), affirmed, No. 18-15487 (9th Cir.). The Northern District of California ruled that Affidavit of Support sponsors cannot avoid liability by claiming that they were “defrauded” into signing the Form I-864. This ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Our client recovered the financial support that she was entitled to following our success at the District Court and appellate level.
Medovets v. Jaramillo, No. 4:19-cv-3771 (Northern District of California)
This Affidavit of Support lawsuit resulted in an early-stage settlement of all claims in favor of our client.