DOJ cracks down on MASSIVE marriage fraud scheme
Host Kayleigh McEnany reports that immigration fraud is facing intensified scrutiny as authorities move against several alleged illegal operations. The Department of Justice has charged 11 people accused of arranging more than 1,000 fraudulent marriages to exploit the visa system. At the same time, officials in Texas are targeting so-called birth tourism centers that allegedly promised newborn children of Chinese nationals immediate U.S. citizenship.
In a separate case, a former senior official with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and an alleged accomplice have been charged in connection with a bribery scheme. Prosecutors say the two accepted nearly $960,000 in exchange for favors tied to immigration benefit applications, including cases involving citizenship.
The former USCIS official, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, and his alleged financial accomplice, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, were arrested on federal charges over what authorities described as a multi-year scheme to collect illegal gratuities. In return, prosecutors said, they manipulated and expedited immigration applications, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Both men were charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official and were taken into custody on Wednesday.
Investigators uncovered extensive WhatsApp communications involving Ganiyu, Somoye and numerous immigration applicants whose cases they allegedly handled, including thousands of messages and hundreds of calls.
A former senior USCIS official and his accomplice are facing charges over an alleged bribery scheme in which they received nearly $960,000 in exchange for favors in the citizenship application process. (John Moore/Getty Images)
From December 2019 through March 2026, prosecutors allege the pair circumvented standard USCIS procedures by steering applicants who paid bribes directly to Ganiyu. Those applicants allegedly avoided key steps in the immigration process, including criminal background checks, interviews, routine USCIS processing protocols and other required reviews.
Ganiyu is accused of altering the USCIS system to fast-track applications in exchange for payments, prosecutors said.
He allegedly fast-tracked citizenship for Somoye before he approved residency applications for Somoye’s wife and child.
Ganiyu allegedly rerouted applications from USCIS field offices in Minneapolis, Charlotte and Houston, bypassing local supervisors so he could approve them himself.
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The pair were charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
Ganiyu received about $671,438 from citizenship applicants through Zelle and Cash App, along with $287,830 in cash deposits that prosecutors say were meant to conceal the money’s source, according to court documents, the New York Post reported.
Acting as the alleged financial intermediary, Somoye processed roughly $1.7 million in transfers involving applicants, including through bank accounts, Zelle and Cash App, allegedly keeping a portion of the payments. He also deposited $449,010 in cash, court documents show, according to the ew York Post.
The complaint alleges that Ganiyu and Somoye often exchanged money “back and forth” with applicants.
Most of the citizenship applications they handled involved applicants from African countries, according to prosecutors.
Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. (Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images)
According to prosecutors, Ganiyu resigned from USCIS in March, citing “personal reasons,” several months before his arrest.
“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement. “When a federal official puts a price tag on lawful status, we will intervene immediately.”
Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
