USCIS Warns of Possible Prosecution for Teacher’s Controversial Marriage
A public school teacher known for her far-left pro-Palestinian views is facing potential legal consequences following her admission that she married a man from the Gaza Strip to secure U.S. citizenship.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesperson Zach Kahler stated, “We should expect these individuals to be discovered and prosecuted for this illegal activity,” after the Washington Post highlighted some unconventional marriages in California.
Laura Pinho, a dance teacher and Code Pink activist, revealed during a June 16 webinar titled “Challenging Zionism in Schools” that she felt compelled to marry a Gazan to “level the playing field.”
Pinho emphasized, “I have the power as an American citizen. I have a newborn passport. And how can I live in this world if I don’t make every effort to level the playing field in any way I can?” This was shared in a webinar presented by the North American Values Institute.
According to marriage records from Utah County, Pinho, 51, married Salem SE Abu Amra on April 5. Virtual weddings are permitted in Utah if both parties present valid identification and obtain a marriage license ahead of time.
Interestingly, a month prior to her marriage, Pinho organized a GoFundMe for her husband, claiming he was the main caregiver for her family of five. “His days are spent finding clean water, finding food for his family and helping them survive,” she stated.
Abu Amra has made headlines for his social media activity, which includes posts that seem to support terrorism. In one instance in November 2018, he shared an image featuring a rifle alongside the word “Palestine” in both English and Arabic.
In 2019, he also posted a tribute to Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, including one who was killed in an Israeli airstrike that year. At the same time, he created a text collage of rifles spelling out “Palestine” in various languages.
Pinho has since asserted that her marriage to Abu Amra is genuine, insisting she married him out of love rather than for citizenship purposes. She mentioned that she didn’t elaborate during the CODEPINK webinar because one of her associates was nearby and might have overheard her.
Marriage fraud, such as marrying for a green card, is a federal offense that could lead to up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. USCIS, under the Department of Homeland Security, has bolstered its capabilities to investigate such fraudulent activities, according to the Department of Justice.
Kahler reiterated, “USCIS is constantly increasing its investigative capabilities and will aggressively pursue individuals who engage in marriage fraud to obtain immigration benefits.”
The Post has sought comment from Abu Amra regarding these allegations.
