Federal authorities in the United States dismantled a network that orchestrated over 1,000 fake marriages between Chinese nationals and American citizens for the purpose of obtaining permanent residency cards over the course of a decade, officials reported on Wednesday.
The Department of Justice filed charges against 11 defendants through the Southern District of New York's Attorney's Office.
The operation, based primarily in New York, functioned from at least 2016 until July of this year and extended across eight states—Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Nevada—and even reached China and Vanuatu.
The Department of Justice estimates that the network generated tens of millions of dollars.
According to the transcript of the press conference by Attorney General Todd Blanche, the facilitators were using social media and advertising to attract Chinese citizens and match them with Americans willing to enter into sham marriages.
Foreign nationals paid up to 100,000 dollars for the service, while American citizens received up to 30,000 dollars for participating, and recruiters charged commissions of up to 5,000 dollars for each person recruited.
Blanche described the scheme as "a years-long artisanal industry worth millions of dollars" and emphasized that the charges "demonstrate how far people go to deceive the immigration system."
The accusation reveals that the recruiters preferred to recruit members of the U.S. Armed Forces as spouses, which adds a dimension of national security to the case.
To maintain the appearance of legitimate marriages before the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the defendants organized photo sessions in restaurants after the ceremonies, opened joint bank and phone accounts, and prepared fraudulent residency applications.
The network also employed lawyers, tax preparers, and wedding officiants within the scheme.
One of the most revealing elements was the prenuptial agreements signed by the couples, which exempted both parties from sharing assets, child support, and inheritances.
One of those documents, cited in the formal accusation, stated: "except for the title of husband and wife, both parties live independently and must not interfere with each other."
The 11 defendants —including Amy Cheng, Xiao Mei Chan, Christine Lu, Gang Zheng, and others— face charges of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud, with a maximum penalty of five years, and conspiracy to facilitate the illegal residency of foreigners, with a maximum penalty of ten years.
This type of network is not new. In 2017, federal agents dismantled similar schemes involving Cubans, and that same year 15 individuals were sentenced for organizing fraudulent marriages.
The Trump administration has intensified migration fraud detection campaigns since 2025, and the case in the Southern District of New York is shaping up to be one of the largest in the country's history in terms of the volume of fraudulent marriages.
Blanche concluded her remarks with a direct warning: "Obtaining American citizenship and legal status to reside in this great nation is a sacred privilege, and we will ensure that it is always done in accordance with the law, protecting our communities and national security."
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