{
  "id": 696745,
  "title": "US government charges 11 people in scheme to obtain green cards through sham marriages",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/us-government-charges-11-people-in-scheme-to-obtain-green-cards",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T20:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/green-cards-sham-marriages-chinese-nationals-indictment-74d1add684b560ee876ff9a8436e6ee4"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Department of Justice announced charges against 11 individuals for their involvement in a large-scale scheme to facilitate the fraudulent acquisition of U.S. citizenship through sham marriages, primarily targeting Chinese nationals, according to officials. The operation, which spanned a decade, was orchestrated from New York and involved U.S. citizens who were paid up to $30,000 to enter into fraudulent marriages with immigrants seeking permanent residency. The defendants reportedly charged up to $100,000 per green card, generating tens of millions of dollars from the scheme. Authorities estimate that over 1,000 sham weddings were arranged, labeling it as one of the most significant marriage fraud cases in U.S. history. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the operation as a years-long, multimillion-dollar business aimed at assisting individuals who would not have been able to become citizens under normal circumstances. The charges stem from the scheme's reliance on U.S. citizens recruited to participate. Defendants were responsible for orchestrating the fake weddings, sometimes staging photos of families at establishments to appear legitimate, and assisting immigrants with the application process for lawful permanent residency. Blanche emphasized the significant impact of such schemes on the nation's ability to control immigration and ensure that only those rightfully eligible gain citizenship.",
  "summary": "WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice has charged nearly a dozen people with participating in a multimillion-dollar scheme to help hundreds of Chinese nationals fraudulently obtain green cards through sham marriages to…",
  "key_points": [
    "DOJ charges 11 in $100M scheme for sham marriages",
    "Scheme targeted Chinese nationals, orchestrated from NY",
    "Over 1,000 fake weddings arranged, Attorney General says"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/696745.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "US government charges 11 people in scheme to obtain green cards through sham marriages",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/us-government-charges-11-people-in-scheme-to-obtain-green-cards-699894",
        "published": "2026-08-12T19:55:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "WATCH: AG Blanche announces charges over green card scheme involving 'sham' marriages",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/watch-ag-blanche-announces-charges-over-green-card-scheme-involving",
        "published": "2026-08-12T22:11:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "US charges 11 in $100K-per-person scheme arranging 1,000 sham marriages for Chinese nationals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/us-charges-11-in-100k-per-person-scheme-arranging-1-000-sham",
        "published": "2026-08-13T06:30:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}