In recent years, when Chinese nationals were rushing to the United States through illegal means, some Chinese individuals sought help from others to bring their relatives from mainland China to Mexico, and even to the United States through such illegal routes. On January 12, the Queen’s Civil Court in New York ruled on a civil dispute stemming from arrangements related to these illegal entry attempts, determining that agreements involving illegal entry and potential human trafficking, even if verbally agreed upon, are not legally enforceable due to the illegal nature of the agreements. The defendant in the case prevailed, with the plaintiff’s claims for compensation being dismissed, and no monetary compensation being awarded to the defendant.
The defendant in the case, Victor, explained that a Mr. Wang, a self-media person, approached him in August or September 2024 through a mutual friend seeking assistance in bringing his wife and son from China to Mexico via Japan, with the intention of later making their own way into the United States.
At that time, the trend of illegal immigration was already in its later stages, with the background of the upcoming U.S. election prompting the Biden administration to strengthen border enforcement measures and crack down on illegal entry activities. Many countries along the illegal immigration routes were also on high alert, increasing scrutiny on Chinese citizens traveling to destinations such as Istanbul and Mexico, resulting in many being intercepted and deported.
Wang’s wife and son held Japanese visas. Previously, many Chinese nationals had utilized multiple trips to and from Japan with visa exemptions to enter Mexico and later sneak into the United States through illegal means, with Japan becoming a part of this illegal immigration route. Wang’s wife and son had initially planned to enter Mexico from Japan and then continue on to the United States through illegal channels, but their attempts to board flights in Japan were unsuccessful multiple times. Upon hearing that Victor was an experienced immigrant familiar with the process, Wang sought his help, promising to pay Victor $100,000 if he successfully delivered his wife and son to Mexico, with the subsequent entry into the United States to be arranged by Wang himself.
Victor assured Wang that bringing the individuals to Mexico wouldn’t be a problem and agreed to help. In September 2024, Victor traveled to Tokyo with Wang’s wife and son, initially attempting a layover in Istanbul. However, upon their arrival in Istanbul, Wang’s wife and son were intercepted by customs, forcing them to return to Japan. Eventually, Victor accompanied them on a direct flight from Japan to Mexico City, where they successfully arrived. However, they were intercepted again while making a connecting flight to Cancun and were promptly deported back to Japan, ultimately returning to China. Victor, being a U.S. citizen, returned to the United States.
In September 2025, Wang filed a lawsuit against Victor in the Queen’s Civil Court, seeking the reimbursement of $5,560 for flight tickets and accommodation expenses paid by Wang. The court hearing took place on January 8 this year, with both parties agreeing to arbitration. The plaintiff submitted flight tickets and chat records as evidence but failed to provide a written contract, payment proof, or third-party witnesses.
On January 12, the arbitrator ruled that the verbal agreement between the two parties involving illegal entry and potential human trafficking constituted an illegal contract, not protected by law and therefore unenforceable. The plaintiff’s case was dismissed by the decision of the arbitrator, which was final and not subject to appeal. Our attempts to reach Mr. Wang for comment on the court’s ruling were unsuccessful as he had no response.