This week’s episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast explores a topic rarely covered in the media: marriage fraud. Guest host Marguerite Telford, the Center’s Director of Communications, sits down with Richard Lee, a former USCIS Immigration Officer and author, to discuss how sham marriages are orchestrated to gain a green card—and eventually citizenship—often then bringing extended family members through chain migration. They also examine how existing U.S. laws and loopholes make it easier for bad actors to exploit the system, in part, by sharing real-life stories.

Key topics:

What is marriage fraud?

 A marriage entered with the primary intention of securing immigration benefits—green cards, citizenship, and eventual chain migration.

Types of marriage fraud

• Single scheme marriage (friendship marriages)
• Single scheme one sided marriage (U.S. citizen used and defrauded)
• Arranged marriage (a paid broker is used and includes fraud rings)

Cases of marriage fraud

The Numbers: Rich Lee draws on his USCIS experience in Atlanta, where he uncovered approximately 3,000 marriage-fraud cases over three years, primarily involving immigrant communities common to the region – the two most common foreign nationals involved were from Nigeria and Ghana.

Where do brokers find the U.S. citizens to exploit?

Lee discusses how homeless people are preyed upon.

VAWA fraud

Aliens exploit the Violence Against Women Act, a federal law that provides protection for victims of domestic violence. The law provides an easy pathway to a green card due to a huge bias towards the alien, who can claim abuse and then self-petition for a green card, all without any in-person interview. This claim of abuse often takes place without the alleged abuser’s knowledge. No evidence or information can be taken from the alleged abuser or his family.

• Telford questions whether it would be a good idea to amend the law so abuse can be contested – maybe adding an adversarial proceeding before an immigration judge.
• Lee believes that VAWA cases should be taken away from the Vermont Service Center.
• Lee also believes that in-person interviews should be required to safeguard against fraudulent misuse.

USCIS culture

Lee explains that he experienced a shift in the agency’s culture during his time as an immigration officer. USCIS is now focused almost exclusively on serving immigrants with little support provided to U.S. citizens.

Victims are encouraged to report fraud on the ICE tipline:1-866-DHS-2-ICE or ICE.gov/tipline

Host

Marguerite Telford is the Director of Communications at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Richard Lee is a former USCIS Immigration Officer and author.

Related

After the Border: 42 Eye-Opening, Shocking, Crazy, Happy & Fun Stories from a Retired U.S. Immigration Officer

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".