The Trump administration announced that 11 people have been charged in connection with an alleged marriage fraud scheme. This operation reportedly enabled over a thousand sham marriages, primarily aiding Chinese nationals in obtaining permanent legal status in the United States.
Overview of the Scheme
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), participants paid up to $100,000 to marry U.S. citizens. This scheme, running for a decade, resulted in hundreds of fraudulently obtained green cards between 2016 and July 2026. Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) noted that this international business model relied on sham marriages to process numerous fraudulent green card applications.
Under the Trump administration, DOJ and HSI have made a concerted effort to address immigration fraud, with a particular focus on green cards and citizenship.
Charges and Arrests
Eleven individuals were arrested in New York as part of this operation. Those charged include:
- Amy Cheng, also known as “Amy Zhou,” 72, of Brooklyn
- Xiao Mei Chan, also known as “Carmen,” 64, of Queens
- Christine Lu, also known as “Lily,” 52, of Queens
- Jing Yan Ye, also known as “Serene,” 43, of Staten Island
- Xiao Yan Chen, also known as “Anna,” 48, of Brooklyn
- Gang Zheng, also known as “Michael” and “Mike,” 61, of Queens
- Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island
- Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island
- Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island
- Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill
- Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining
These defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud and encouraging unlawful residence of aliens in the U.S. Each charge carries the possibility of up to five and 10 years in prison, respectively.
Operating the Scheme
Authorities allege the scheme was promoted through word-of-mouth, social media, and ads, enticing immigrants with promises of lawful permanent residency via fraudulent marriages. Individuals reportedly paid up to $100,000, while others involved received commissions for recruiting U.S. citizens.
Organizers allegedly prepared American participants to enter fake marriages for financial gain, even staging weddings and photo shoots. Couples posed in wedding attire at ceremonies and restaurants, producing images used to deceive immigration officials into believing the marriages were legitimate.
The indictment describes this network as an extensive operation both nationwide and international in scope, generating millions of dollars and more than 1,000 fraudulent marriage arrangements overall.
“The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly operated a nationwide and international, multimillion-dollar marriage fraud scheme, using participants to abuse United States immigration laws for their own profit,” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald stated. “Today’s arrests dismantle a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in U.S. history.”
Law enforcement agencies are committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit and corrupt the U.S. immigration system.