Jasmir Urbina, an asylum-seeker residing in the U.S., grew anxious while observing violence erupt during the military-style immigration raids sweeping the nation. She then learned of legal residents being detained at immigration court and pondered when federal agents might target her city. Urbina had escaped Nicaragua in 2022 and was legally living with her husband, another asylum-seeker, in New Orleans, where she regularly checked in with immigration officials while awaiting her court hearing. At last, late November 2025 was drawing near. Days later, the Trump administration would deploy federal officers across the region in “Operation Swamp Sweep.” Urbina, 35, started looking for a Spanish speaker to assist her and came across a Facebook post promoting the services of Catholic Charities, a major aid group that helps immigrants. With just a few clicks, she connected on WhatsApp with “Susan Millan,” who claimed to possess a law degree. A screenshot shared by Urbina with ProPublica revealed the woman’s professional-looking photo, which featured a small library visible in the blurry background. The asylum-seeker said she talked about her situation with the woman she believed was a lawyer. Millan told Urbina that the matter could be resolved through a virtual hearing with U.S. immigration officials.
