US charges 11 in $100K-per-person scheme arranging 1,000 sham marriages for Chinese nationals

The U.S. Justice Department has charged 11 people in connection with a large-scale, decade-long scheme that orchestrated around 1,000 sham marriages to help Chinese nationals obtain legal immigration status in the United States. Court documents unsealed in federal court in Manhattan detail the operation, which allegedly involved foreign nationals paying significant sums to U.S. citizens for fraudulent marriages.

According to the indictment, foreign nationals involved in the scheme paid a group of six "facilitators" as much as $100,000 each. These payments were for being paired with a U.S. citizen who would then agree to the marriage, with the U.S. citizens reportedly receiving up to $30,000 for their participation. The ultimate goal was to enable the Chinese national to gain lawful permanent resident status.

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one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history

Participants in the conspiracy then assisted the newlyweds in submitting the necessary paperwork to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the scheme as "one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history," highlighting the extent to which individuals will go to circumvent the immigration system.

This announcement follows recent actions aimed at tightening immigration controls. It comes shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting "birth tourism." The State Department also initiated a review of visa holders' activities to crack down on individuals entering the U.S. solely to secure citizenship for their children.

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how far people will go to cheat our immigration system