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07-13-2007, 01:36 PM #1
CA: 10 arrested for posing as spouses to petition immigrant
10 arrested for posing as spouses to petition immigrant visas
The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 07/13/2007 01:52:20 AM PDT
SANTA ANA, Calif.—Ten people have been indicted for allegedly posing as spouses to obtain visas for Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, authorities said.
Some of the defendants, who come from the Little Saigon area of Westminster and the San Gabriel Valley, had petitioned for as many as 10 spouses, said Frank Johnston, assistant agent in charge in Los Angeles for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It's often easier for foreigners to qualify for a green card, or become legal permanent residents, if they marry a U.S. citizen.
"They banked on the fact that we were so overburdened that we were not scrutinizing applicants. But now we're placing more emphasis on these investigations," said Johnston.
The investigation began after immigration officers noticed the same U.S. citizens listed as petitioners for several spouses from China.
The petitioners were recruited by facilitators who trolled casinos and card clubs looking for people who lost large sums of money or needed quick cash, authorities said. The amount paid to petitioners varied, but Johnston said they earned as much as $50,000.
ICE officials said facilitators charged as much as $60,000 to arrange phony marriages. None of the 10 suspects charged this week were facilitators.
The group used a number of measures to make the marriages look real, including fake wedding photos, love letters and phony tax returns.
Eight of the suspects are of Vietnamese descent, one is Chinese-American and one is Indonesian.
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