U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials confirmed on the 15th that federal immigration officers will enhance methods such as home visits to investigate the authenticity of marriage green cards, and will strengthen security checks on applicants involved in sham marriages through social media; once fraudulent marriage green card applicants are identified, any future immigration applications for themselves, their parents, and spouses may be denied.
Immigration officials pointed out that, according to the executive order from President Trump and the new enforcement guidelines issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), immigration fraud such as obtaining green cards through sham marriages will be prioritized for enforcement. Since President Trump took office, there has been a tightening of entry inspections, and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly mentioned in congressional testimony last month that the government is considering requiring foreign nationals entering the United States to provide their social media account passwords for stricter screening; recently, there have been multiple incidents where Chinese students and tourists faced rigorous checks of their Facebook and WeChat content upon entering the United States, leading to entry denials and even deportations.
USCIS officials Daniel Renaud, Assistant Director for Enforcement, Donald Neufeld, Assistant Director for Service Center Operations, and Matt Emrich, Assistant Director for Fraud Detection and National Security, submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the 15th regarding K-1 fiancé visa fraud cases, confirming that to ensure national security and the honesty of applicants, USCIS has identified social media as an important tool in background and security checks, "recognizing its potential value and continuing to expand its use." The testimony cited the case of Zheng Yi Jason Shiao and Lynn Leung, a father-daughter duo from Santa Fe Springs, California, who assisted Chinese citizens in sham marriages to obtain green cards, indicating that marriage and family-based green card applications are common in immigration fraud cases.
The testimony pointed out that the immigration executive order signed by President Trump on January 25, and the enforcement action guidelines issued by Secretary Kelly in February, established the principles of "enhancing public safety within the United States" and "enhancing immigration enforcement to serve national interests," and those who have participated in fraud or made false statements to government agencies are prioritized for immigration enforcement; USCIS has committed to holding accountable those who violate laws and threaten public safety in the review of immigration benefit applications.
USCIS's Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) immigration officers conducted field visits to 11,800 applicants for spousal immigration in 2016 to confirm whether the applicants and beneficiaries lived together and whether they resided at the addresses claimed by the applicants to verify the authenticity of the marriage; if a fraudulent marriage is discovered, immigration officers will refer the case to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for criminal investigation and possible deportation proceedings. Three USCIS assistant directors also noted in their testimony submitted to Congress that if marriage immigration applicants are denied due to fraud, the involved parties and any future immigration applications submitted by their parents, future spouses, or employers may also be denied.