When a person immigrates to Florida, he or she may encounter any number of challenges while adapting to a new lifestyle. If citizenship is the ultimate goal, there are various ways to accomplish it. However, if the U.S. government suspects at any time that a person is committing immigration fraud, it can spark a series of legal problems that may lead to deportation.
Nineteen people were recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. They are accused of participating in an organized scheme known as “birth tourism,” which is reportedly designed to bring foreign nationals who are pregnant to the United States under false pretenses so that they can give birth in this country, thus giving their children birth citizenship. ICE agents say they believe one woman in particular was in charge of a group of approximately 100 people who were allegedly working together to coach Chinese immigrant women on how to gain entry to the United States by tricking immigration agents at ports of entry.
A 53-year-old man was arrested in connection with indictments returned by a federal grand jury. He and two others were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud. They have also been charged with identity theft and international money laundering.
Those accused of running the organization on the West Coast are said to have charged clients as much as $80,000 to rent apartments while waiting to give birth in the United States. The supposed scheme brought them approximately $3 million from overseas in the past two years. Not every citizenship dilemma is as complex as this situation appears to be. However, Florida residents who are experiencing any type of legal complications regarding their own citizenship or that of a family member may reach out for support by scheduling a meeting with an experienced immigration law attorney.
