“A Breach of Trust: Foreign Con Artists Seek Marriage to Scam Innocent Americans”

FREDERICK, Md. - June 29, 2015 - PRLog -- Many American nationals are being deceived by foreigners whose only agenda is to gain citizenship into the United States. These criminals scam the blissfully unaware into marriage, deviously planning to accuse them of domestic violence as soon as the words “I do” are spoken. Some may think this form of immigration marriage fraud is an impossible scenario in a land that enacts notorious laws to protect its people against foreign intrusion, such as the controversial Patriot Act. Nevertheless, a loophole in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) lets any spouse of a US citizen or permanent resident file a claim of domestic abuse without the knowledge of the accused, which in turn gives them the ability to sponsor themselves to gain permanent residency.Michael Parrotte of the Victims of Immigration Fraud Organization and his team are committed to educating the public about the gap in the system that so many foreigners are exploiting.

These domestic violence charges, which can go unknown for months or years, can be filed through a document called Form I-360. If these allegations are made at an institution unrelated to the criminal justice system, such as a women's shelter or a church, they will not be investigated; rather, they are sent to the Vermont Service Center, the only jurisdiction of the USCIS that handles VAWA claims. Considering every single case pertaining to this dilemma is processed in this one building, the Vermont Service Center just expedites the citizenship application of the “harmed” without ever meeting them in person.

Sickeningly, this is not where the horror stops for the American citizen that has been falsely accused. As if having experienced the emotional toll brought on by losing their perceived one true love was not enough, the detrimental effects of this crime continue. Claims against the “abuser” can result in: thousands of dollars spent in attempt of defending themselves, loss of their job, loss of benefits and savings, and, oftentimes, their child. Furthermore, since the “battered” spouse may be eligible for welfare benefits, the accused can be ordered to pay these aids due to the Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the I-864 Act.

To put all of this into perspective, there are close to a million false domestic abuse accusations each year in the US, and it is estimated that tens of thousands of these are done against US citizens and permanent residents by their non-citizen spouses in order to gain access to the United States. This immmigration marriage fraud does not only cost the accused their hard earned money, but the general taxpayer as well! The “abused” is legally allowed a plethora of free services, such as representation by a lawyer, testimonies by expert witnesses, and other amenities to support their falsified case. Most significantly, the mental cruelty and the individual experiences of the accused can stay with them and their families for years, if not for the rest of their lives. “Until death do us part!”

This form of immigration marriage fraud is a major concern not only for the person who got deceived, but for the American society as a whole. It is a light of injustice and unfairness shining on the country best known for the individual freedom and liberty of its citizens, not to mention the threat to national security of our great nation. “The safety of our nation begins at its borders but it does not end there. It is therefore essential that not only must our borders be secured, but that our immigration bureaucracy honor those who abide by the laws and seeks to weed out those who would commit fraud and those who would assist them.”
– Michael Cutler, former Senior Special Agent at the INS

Michael Parrotte (http://www.parrotte.net/): Our goals at Victims of Immigration Fraud are simple, yet challenging. We want to give guidance to those that have been victimized by deceptive foreign spouses, a broken immigration system, and an unfair judicial system. We also hope to prevent other American men and women from having to experience these injustices. We seek to redress the wrongdoings that have been produced by unfair application of VAWA laws and the injustices of the judicial system. We can be reached via our website www.voif.org, and via email: voif.advocacy@outlook.com.