Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, intending spouses of U.S. citizens bypassed background checks before being granted permanent entry into the United States.  (Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept. of State)

Snapshot of Cases: The Dangers of Fraud

In 2007, a Lebanese-born C.I.A. agent admitted to gaining U.S. citizenship through a sham marriage. Prior to her intelligence work, she worked as an F.B.I. special agent. (Source: news sources)

Half of the 36 terrorists analyzed in a report obtained green cards or U.S. citizenship through marriage. At least 10 of those green-card marriages were fraudulent. One terrorist had to marry three Americans before obtaining a green card, and another acquired a marriage-based green card even though on a terrorist watch list. Others fixed illegal immigration statuses by sham marriages to Americans. (Source: Center for Immigration Studies)

A short-term marriage allowed admitted terrorist Iyman Faris to go from illegal immigrant to U.S. citizen. The Kashmiri native and truck driver, also known as Mohammed Rauf, pleaded guilty to providing material support to al Qaeda in 2003, including plans to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge. (Sources: U.S. Attorney General's office, interview with ex-wife Geneva Bowling) 

"Nancy" - shocked to find out her North African husband was still married in his home country. When she filed for divorce in the New York City area, a county court clerk had seen so many cases of marriage fraud for immigration that she schooled Nancy in the federal immigration process. (Source: interview)

In  Dabaghian v. Civiletti, 607 F.2d 868 (9th Cir.1979), a federal appeals court held that an Iranian man had a right to a green card even though he was separated from his wife when the INS granted it to him -- just four or five months after getting married. One month after obtaining a divorce, he married and sponsored an Iranian wife into the country. The INS attempted to revoke his green card a year later. Unless the immigration service could prove a marriage was a sham from the beginning, the foreign spouse had a right to immigration status regardless of the length of the marriage. (Source: Dabaghian v. Civiletti, 607 F.2d 868 (9th Cir.1979))

"Madeline" - married a well off European businessman after graduating college, only to have him divorce her once he obtained his green card. When she contacted immigration officials, they told her to get in line and "take a number." (Source: interview)
 

In 2003, a Manhattan city clerk noticed a repeat customer for marriage licenses. The initial investigation uncovered several women that engaged in multiple marriages -- all to foreign men -- with one woman marrying at least 27 men over a twenty year period. (Sources: news reports; Manhattan District Attorney's office)

Sandra - her Russian husband divorced her just months after he was granted a green card and entry into the United States. Even though a state court granted her a divorce on the basis of marriage fraud for immigration, her husband kept his green card and immediately sponsored his Russian girlfriend into the United States through marriage. (Sources: Gubin v. Lodisev, 197 Mich App 84 (1992); interview)

Patoc - married a newly divorced Filipino man in the U.S. on a tourist visa, only to have him admit he married her for immigration once he obtained a green card more than a year later. She would find out he still maintained a relationship with his divorced wife in his home country. (Source: Baria v. Reno, 94 F.3d 1335, 1340 (9th Cir.1996))

"Sean" - married a woman he was dating as a favor to get her legal immigration status. She intentionally got pregnant to provide an "anchor baby" for citizenship and maxed out his credit cards. Two weeks after they separated, she was living with a boyfriend from her home country that also gained his immigration status through marriage. Sean would later find out that his wife's sisters all gained their legal immigration status in the same manner -- marriage and anchor children -- and then divorced their American spouses. (Sources: interviews)

Elena - her Dutch husband admitted he married her for a green card, then attacked her and threatened to kill her if she contacted immigration authorities. She later found out he was legally barred from immigrating because of criminal activities and fraud, but bypassed a background check when entering the U.S. since he was going to marry an American. Immigration authorities refused to investigate his case or take a sworn statement from her, and lost all the evidence she submitted with a retired FBI agent. (Source: site author)