- The US Department of Justice charged 11 people over a scheme that allegedly arranged more than 1,000 fake weddings to secure green cards for Chinese nationals
- American citizens were reportedly paid up to $30,000 each to enter bogus marriages, while organisers charged immigrants as much as $100,000 per green card
- Attorney General Todd Blanche described the operation as a years-long multimillion-dollar scheme that robbed the country of control over who enters the US
The United States Department of Justice has filed charges against 11 people over an alleged marriage fraud operation that ran for about a decade and helped hundreds of Chinese nationals obtain green cards through fake marriages to American citizens.
The indictment, filed in New York, accuses the defendants of running what authorities described as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in US history. Officials say the group is believed to have arranged more than 1,000 sham weddings in total.
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American citizens were paid up to $30,000 each to marry immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status, while the defendants charged each immigrant as much as $100,000 for the service.
The operation, which was orchestrated from New York, is said to have brought in tens of millions of dollars over its lifespan.
How the scheme worked
Accoridng to AP, after recruiting willing US citizens, organisers would stage fake wedding ceremonies. In some cases, the group went further, arranging photographs of the couples at restaurants and other venues to make the marriages appear genuine. Defendants then guided the immigrants through the formal application process for permanent residency.
Those charged include people accused of officiating the sham ceremonies. It was not immediately clear whether the defendants had legal representation at the time the charges were announced on Wednesday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the operation was far more sophisticated than a simple fraud.
“This scheme was not a quick, fly-by-night operation but rather a yearslong, multibillion dollar cottage industry to criminally assist people who would not, or legally could not, otherwise become citizens of the United States,” Blanche told reporters.
He added that the consequences of such schemes extend beyond individual cases:
“These schemes have real cost. They rob our country of its ability to know who should be and who should not be allowed in America.”
The prosecution arrives as the Trump administration continues to push stricter controls on both legal and irregular immigration, tightening the criteria for who can enter or gain citizenship in the United States.
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Key steps to take after receiving green cards
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has outlined the essential steps that new permanent residents must follow after receiving their Green Card, covering everything from mandatory card possession to travel rules and benefit access.
According to USCIS, a permanent resident card, commonly known as a Green Card, serves as official proof that its holder is authorised to live and work in the United States. Any permanent resident aged 18 or older is legally required to carry a valid Green Card at all times.
Source: Legit.ng