DOJ cracks down on MASSIVE marriage fraud scheme
Host Kayleigh McEnany spotlighted a widening crackdown on alleged immigration fraud, as authorities move against several suspected illegal operations. The Department of Justice has charged 11 people accused of arranging more than 1,000 sham marriages to exploit the U.S. visa system. At the same time, Texas officials are targeting birth tourism centers that allegedly market fast-track American citizenship for newborns of Chinese nationals.
In a separate case, a former senior official with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and an alleged accomplice are facing federal charges tied to a suspected bribery scheme. Prosecutors say the men accepted nearly $960,000 in exchange for helping with immigration benefit applications, including cases involving U.S. citizenship.
The former official, Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, and his alleged financial accomplice, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, were arrested on federal charges over what prosecutors described as a yearslong scheme to collect illegal gratuities. In return, they allegedly 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 Wednesday.
Investigators said they uncovered extensive WhatsApp communications linking Ganiyu, Somoye and multiple applicants whose immigration matters they allegedly handled, including thousands of messages and hundreds of calls.
A former senior USCIS official and his accomplice are facing charges for an alleged bribery scheme in which they accepted nearly $960,000 in exchange for favors in the citizenship application process. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Between December 2019 and March 2026, the duo allegedly bypassed standard procedures by pushing applicants who paid bribes directly to Ganiyu, skipping key steps in the immigration process such as criminal background checks, interviews, standard USCIS processing protocols and other reviews, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors allege Ganiyu altered the USCIS system to fast-track applications in exchange for money, 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.