Last week, a marriage fraud case jointly investigated by the U.S. Immigration and other federal government departments exposed the involvement of hundreds of undocumented immigrants, revealing a criminal issue where some individuals seek money and immigration benefits through sham marriages. Insiders disclosed that this phenomenon is quite common within the American Chinese community.
Why would people resort to such actions? Southern California Chinese lawyer Liu Longzhu analyzed, “First, this method provides a quick way to obtain legal status; second, many individuals were already planning to get married, so obtaining a green card through marriage enables them to achieve dual objectives.”
Upon his return to the White House, President Trump has taken decisive actions to enforce immigration laws rigorously. The ability to obtain legal status to stay in the U.S. has become a pressing concern for many undocumented immigrants. According to Liu Longzhu, many individuals, unable to obtain legal status through other means, are forced to resort to marriage fraud for green cards. However, finding a genuine partner for marriage green card applications is not easy, leading to the proliferation of fake marriages.
“Shockingly, there are now people advertising on TikTok, ‘Major discount on marriage green cards, $130,000 off,'” Liu Longzhu explained. There is now a booming black market for fraudulent marriage green cards, with prices skyrocketing from $70,000-$80,000 to $150,000.
What baffles him is that some Chinese individuals view obtaining immigration benefits through sham marriages as common practice, treating it almost casually like grocery shopping or renting a house. In reality, marriage fraud for green cards is a federal felony. Under Section 1325(c) of the Marriage Fraud Act, anyone seeking to evade immigration laws through marriage could face a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Currently, there is no publicly available data on how many people have attained U.S. immigration benefits through fraudulent marriages. Liu Longzhu estimates that the rate of fake marriages in international marriages is exceptionally high.
Referencing data from the UK, according to a report published by the UK Home Office, annually, there are about 35,000 marriages involving non-European Economic Area nationals, with approximately 4,000 to 10,000 of these applications for residency in the UK based on fraudulent marriages or civil partner relationships.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, along with several other departments, cracked down on a major marriage fraud case involving hundreds of undocumented immigrants. In a case last year involving four California residents, over 600 non-U.S. citizens were implicated in marriage fraud schemes.
Liu Longzhu believes that fake marriages are often rushed and have a high likelihood of being exposed. In the past, due to widespread inefficiencies within federal agencies, many people managed to slip through the cracks. However, the current situation is different, with specialized units now dedicated to combating fraudulent marriages.
He mentioned that immigration officials now conduct detailed interviews during reviews, asking specific questions such as what time one woke up this morning, what toothbrush brand was used, whether one brushes their teeth first or showers first, and how long one typically spends in the restroom, among others. This approach makes it much easier to uncover sham marriages.
Regarding Chinese individuals who must live apart due to work requirements, Liu Longzhu reminds that this situation can be challenging for Americans to understand since they typically expect married couples to reside together. Therefore, even genuine marriages require careful management to successfully obtain spousal green cards.
Liu Longzhu stated that some individuals are willing to go to great lengths in fraudulent marriages to gain legal status and benefits. For instance, in cases involving over 600 non-U.S. citizens last year, many colluded with intermediaries, falsely accusing their American spouses of “domestic violence” to secure immigration benefits. Intermediaries lodged domestic violence charges on behalf of their clients, seeking restraining orders against their spouses, leveraging provisions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to apply for permanent resident status.
“Some foreign spouses (intending to apply for legal status through you) may intentionally provoke you; if you push them in response and they fall, they will call the police and have you arrested,” he cautioned. “If one day you notice a sudden change in behavior from your spouse, speaking harshly, be cautious as it could be a trap. They could not only get a green card through domestic violence claims, divorce you, but also possibly take your assets, achieving green card and financial independence.”
Of course, many marriages undertaken for the purpose of obtaining legal status are based on genuine love. For these applicants, Liu Longzhu advises that sufficient evidence should be provided to prove the authenticity of the marriage to immigration authorities. It is essential to retain photos from the wedding, living together, traveling, dining out, joint account information, as well as call records to successfully process a spousal green card application. ◇