Marriage-based immigration in the U.S. surpasses asylum
seekers, refugees and employment-based immigrants combined. (Source: Dept. of Homeland Security data)
If you are an immigration fraud victim, please contact the Voices of
Immigration Fraud Victims or view the list of victims resources on the "Policy" page of this site. The link below is for media and publishers only.
To arrange an interview, please contact Lopez through the FORM provided. Please include your deadline. Thank you!
Elena Maria Lopez, a former journalist and marriage fraud victim, started ImmigrationFraud.com in 2003 to counter the lack of information, investigative material, analysis and resources available regarding immigration and marriage fraud. She also wrote and distributed a free legal guide to help fellow immigration fraud victims.
In a 2006 USA Today piece, Lopez revealed that only 1 percent of green-card marriages are investigated despite worries that anywhere from 30 to 75 percent are fraudulent. The Department of Homeland Security promptly responded to Lopez’s story by halting the release of new marriage-based and fraud-related investigative immigration data.
Lopez’s personal story appeared in New Jersey’s Star-Ledger and the Spanish-language El Sol Latino newspaper. Geraldo at Large (Fox News) featured her personal story and her research.
Since first writing about the problem of immigration fraud, other victims have continued to contact Lopez for help. These fraud victims include college professors, doctors, scientists, lawyers and newly naturalized U.S. citizens. Men are just as likely as women to be victimized.
Based on her incredible experiences and research, a journalism colleague talked Lopez into writing a book. She’s currently searching for a publisher for her manuscript, The Mourning Bride.
Former political journalist; Immigration fraud victim
(As of July 2010, seeking a publisher)
If you are a victim of immigration fraud, contact the Voices of Immigration Fraud Victims at ImmigrationFraudVictims.org.