Clients demand answers after immigration attorney’s license suspended
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) - Dozens of clients are demanding answers from Rancho Mirage immigration attorney Joe Luna, saying they paid for legal help from the Luna Firm but are now left looking for answers after learning the attorney's license was suspended.
Luna is currently not eligible to practice law in California, according to the State Bar of California.
The Luna Firm’s Rancho Mirage office has also had its signage removed.
Clients tell News Channel 3 they have been waiting months for updates about their immigration cases, with little to no answers.
One client, who News Channel 3 is identifying as Jane Doe because she asked that her name and face not be shown, says she went to the Luna Firm with other clients looking for answers.
“It’s just really hard and I haven’t cried as much as I probably should. It sucks because I don’t know where it’s going to go. I don’t have answers,” Jane said.
Jane says she did not know Luna’s license had been suspended until she went to the office asking for answers.
Jane says she paid thousands of dollars for representation and says Luna never showed up to any of her court hearings.
Jane is now worried about what could happen if nothing is done in her case.
“I do have court November 3rd. According to my judge, she said that if there’s nothing filed or in motion, I will be getting the deportation order,” Jane said.
News Channel 3 also obtained video showing a group of clients confronting people at the Luna Firm office. During the confrontation, one person is heard threatening to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
News Channel 3 went to the Luna Firm office to get answers but was not allowed inside.
After that, a former employee reached out to News Channel 3 and shared what she says was happening behind the scenes at the firm.
“There was money taken and work not performed. Clients were put off,” the former employee said.
When asked what she believed the issue came down to, the former employee said, “Lack of supervision by the attorney.”
She also said, “This isn’t the first suspension this year.. it’s the second. Normally notification is sent out to clients. It wasn’t done. That’s why clients are finding out on social media.”
The former employee said she believed staff members had the best intentions.
But when asked whether she believed Luna had the best intentions, she said, “No, I don’t think he had the best intentions at all.”
News Channel 3 has been in contact with Luna to give him an opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by clients and the allegations made by the former employee.
Luna told News Channel 3 he was unavailable to speak Tuesday but would be available to speak Wednesday.
News Channel 3 will follow up with Luna and bring you his response.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
