Some Americans who have fallen victim to fraudulent marriages are urging the Trump administration to take serious action on the matter.
The CODIAS Act, which represents 140 individuals—victims of marriage fraud and their families—submitted a formal petition on Wednesday to the Attorney General, the Director of the Immigration Review Office (EOIR), and the Chairman of the Immigration Committee (BIA). The petition requests the Trump administration establish a formal procedure that allows Americans to challenge the validity of green cards awarded on fraudulent marriage grounds based on new evidence.
“For the first time in American history, there will be a clear process for victims of marriage fraud to address their situations,” said Cody Brown, a lawyer for Codias Law.
Brown elaborated, “If a foreign national is suspected of fraud, there are plenty of options for action. But if an American realizes they’ve been deceived after the fact, they feel left without recourse.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), which oversees EOIR, did not comment when approached for a response.
Marriage fraud generally involves unions meant solely for immigration benefits, rather than genuine relationships. This can include situations where both individuals understand the marriage isn’t real, often leading to American spouses receiving financial benefits or experiencing some other form of exploitation.
While marriage fraud is serious and can result in severe consequences for the involved immigrant, there seems to be a lack of federal agency resources to appropriately tackle this unique kind of fraud.
As of September 2022, it became clear that USCIS, which typically takes the lead on marriage fraud enforcement, had no national strategy to combat it, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. Documents Brown accessed through the Freedom of Information Act indicated that USCIS had not denied any marriage petitions based on fraud.
“This is a clear illustration of how entrenched bureaucrats can undermine effective enforcement,” Brown noted, emphasizing that such gaps leave fraud victims in vulnerable situations.
The DOJ tends to rarely prosecute cases of marriage fraud. According to Brown’s testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, enforcement is primarily the responsibility of Homeland Security Investigations. Unfortunately, they engage in investigations only under special circumstances.
Many victims of marriage fraud report a lack of answers or resources from the federal government, and few lawyers specialize in this area.
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, expressed her frustration: “It’s challenging to find someone to advocate for you. Websites exist where you can submit concerns, but I doubt those would be addressed promptly.”
She recounted marrying an Indian citizen in 2019 after meeting through an online platform. During their long-distance sponsorship, her then-husband claimed to be a widower and conveyed a desire to have children.
Once he obtained legal residency in 2023 and moved to Texas, they were together for only a month before he abruptly left. She later found out that he had undergone a vasectomy prior to their marriage, had been previously deported from Dubai for sexual misconduct, and that his first wife tragically took her own life due to his abusive behavior.
Although a court annulled their marriage in 2025, her ex-husband is believed to still reside freely in the U.S.
“I sought counsel from numerous people and lawyers before working with Brown,” she recounted, noting that she quickly found most immigration attorneys geared their practices toward promoting immigration rather than defending against it.
“Most of the lawyers I contacted have mostly turned me away; many of them are immigrants themselves, focused on helping their community,” she said.
Brown’s organization is advocating for American citizens who married foreigners under genuine pretenses.
President Trump has positioned himself as a strict regulator of border issues, which could make his administration more receptive to Brown’s proposals.
Upon returning to the White House, Trump quickly took measures to reform immigration through various executive orders, bolstering border security and initiating collaborative law enforcement efforts with the Mexican government.
His administration noted marked improvements in border operations, claiming it to be the safest in U.S. history.
USCIS has been more focused on enforcement since Trump’s return and, in March, assisted in dismantling a major marriage fraud scheme that allegedly generated significant illegal revenue.
There’s some hope that the demands of the CODIAS Act will be heeded by the Trump administration. If not, the organization is prepared to pursue legal action on behalf of clients and other victims across the country.
“In the U.S., there are a significant number of fraudsters, posing serious national security risks,” Brown stated. “The big question is whether our agencies are willing to take action.”
