NOTE to students: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” and watch the videos under “Resources.”

1. a) What crime were the 11 people who were arrested charged with?
b) Approximately how many fraudulent marriages were involved?

2. a) What was the purpose of these marriages?
b) Which country are most of the foreign nationals from?

3. a) How much money did the foreign nationals typically pay for marriages that resulted in fraudulently obtaining a green card (U.S. citizenship)?
b) How much did the U.S. citizens who agreed to enter into fake marriages receive for committing fraud against the U.S.?
c) How much money overall did the fraudsters who orchestrated the scheme make?

4. The criminal network included facilitators, recruiters, and assistants. What did each do?

5. What steps did the fraudsters take to fool immigration officials into believing the marriages were genuine?

6. Those arrested this week were the ones who orchestrated the scheme to set up the fake marriages. What penalty will they receive if found guilty?

7. Do an internet search:
a) What penalties will the U.S. citizens who willingly entered into fraudulent marriages for money potentially face?
b) What penalties will the foreign nationals who scammed the U.S. to gain citizenship potentially receive?

8. a) Ten of the 11 arrested for running the scam are naturalized U.S. citizens from China. When they have completed whatever prison time they are sentenced to, should they have their citizenship stripped and be expelled from the country and permanently barred from ever entering the U.S. again? Explain your answer.
b) What consequences should foreign nationals who entered into these fraudulent marriages face regarding any future immigration status? Explain your answer.
c) What do you think of the U.S. citizens who participated in these sham marriages?

CHALLENGE: This News Nation report does not provide information on how the DOJ discovered this marriage fraud scheme. WATCH the 2nd video under "Resources" to find this information.