Court nominee, judge neil gorsuch. K1 visas allow a foreigner who is engaged to usa resident to become a u. S. Resident and green cardholder. The Senate Judiciary committee holds a hearing on fraud. This is an hour and 50 minutes. Normally, i dont start a meeting until the ranking democrat gets here, but theres a vote going on, so this is the way im going to handle the meeting. I will call on senator durbin because he has another important meeting he has to go too. I want him to make his statement and ill make my statement and introduce the first panel and then we wont do anything until miss feinstein gets here. Thank you, senator durbin. Thank you. This is kind of out of order and for those new i appreciate the courtesy extended to me by my friend from iowa. I am a ranging member of a closed door subcommittee in a few minutes. I made a conscious choice to ask to be the ranking democratic member of the subcommittee. I did hat for several reason, first, i am the son of an immigrant. My mother came to this country at the age of 2. I am honored to be a first generation american. If you come to my Capitol Office you will see proudly on my credenza my mothers naturalization certificate, as a reminder what i am and what she is. It was 116 years ago since her boat landed in baltimore and i made this journey to washington to represent the great state of illinois. Im sure when my mothers ship landed, she said not more of those people. They came down the steps and became part of america and thats why im here today. Weve seen in the last few weeks an absolute upheaval in the immigration policy of the United States of america. We have seen things done many of us never expected from executive order s stricken by federal courts to proposals to redefine criminal conduct so people can be deported. You know what i found friday when i went back to chicago . I went to one of the largest law firms in our city. There was probono awards for t those at that firm who have gone beyond their professional call of duty to help the less fortunate and not get paid for it. Theyve done amazing things. I asked what are you working on now, 50 attorneys were leaving for a meeting at Immaculate Conception church in chicago. They were hoping to get another fift 50 to join them. You know why theyre going . Theyre going to prepare guardianship papers who are f r fearing they will be gone. So if theyre snatched at work and deported someone will take care of their children. Imagine the mind of that parent facing that prospect. Imagine how you would feel. That is what immigration is at this moment. The anxiety, stress and fear across america is palpable. I am sure fiance visa fraud is an important issue. I am opposed to any visa fraud. Isnt it time this committee and immigration subcommittee take up some of the fundamentals of immigration . A few years ago we passed a comprehensive bipartisan bill in the senate. I was one of its authors. I agreed to an obscene amount of money for Border Protection and i voted for it but i choked on it because i knew how important it was. Wouldnt it be good if we could return to that moment, take that bill and move it forward. Thank you for allowing me an opening statement. To the subject of today, over the last several years, this committee has heard testimony about the various Immigration Laws using visa category by our federal immigration system. Today, oversight category of immigration fraud that often goes unreported and forgotten. Recent reports have shown the number of Foreign Nationals who defraud american citizens to enter our country and receive a green card is increasing very rapidly. In fact, the k1 fiance visa have been increasing every single year. The state department issued 44,000 in 2016. A 27 increase since 2012. 89 of the k1 visa petitions are approved by citizenship and Immigration Services. Marriage provides one of the quickest paths to citizenship. Thats why abuse of the k1 category is concerning. It provides four nationals almost immediate access to the United States and benefits of u. S. Citizenship. Petitions for k1 fiances are quickly processed and approved in about 812 months compared to very much longer wait times and restrictions in other visa categories. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pursued more than 14,000 document and benefit Fraud Investigation reports from 2012 to 2015. That includes hundreds of arrests for marriage fraud but the government cannot provide exact numbers. This requires citizenship and Immigration Services for the state department to play a role caution kau categorized as immigration marriage police. Today, we will hear about their efforts to identify and prevent marriage fraud. U. S. Citizens should be freed to marry Foreign National, nobody questions that. U. S. Citizens who are manipulated and used for an immigration benefit as well as Foreign Nationals who legitim e legitimately want to marry an american. This kind of fraud can pose r k risks to our national economy, Public Safety and security. There are many different ways a con artist can commit marriage fraud. The most heartbreaking is when a Foreign National dupes a u. S. Citizen into believing theyre in fact in love. Upon entry, the Foreign National often drags out the engagement or abandons a u. S. Sponsor, then becoming a visa overstay. Or the Foreign National will leave the marriage as soon as they obtain a green card. Today, we will hear from victims of this type of marriage fraud. A naturalized citizen and cardiologist who lives in california, lived in the u. S. For 20 years. He petitioned for a k1 visa for his fiance, a Pakistani National that he met while visiting his family in that country. Instead of marrying mr. Hussain, his fiance abandoned him around the time the 90 davis sa expired. The next victim is miss lopez who met her exhusband while he was traveling in the United States. He was a Dutch National who proposed to elena, telling her he wanted to grow old with her. However, shortly before her second anniversary, he told elena they were getting a divorce and he married her only for the green card. She refused to continue spons sponsoring for the green card, he abused her and threatened to kill her. However, not all cases are onesided. Sometimes all parties including the u. S. Citizen knowingly enter into relationships with the intent of getting a visa and making a profit. For example, recently, three individuals plead guilty to a launch marriage fraud scheme in which they posed as attorneys and charged chinese nationals up to 50,0 50,000 to set up sham marria marriages. These shams led to 70 fraudulent marria marriages. In another case a woman in the bronx married 10 men 1995 to 2010 charging them 5,000 to 10,0 10,000 each. At one point she was married to eight of them at the same time. Among them, was an alleged terrorist who was deported in 2006 for making threats against the United States. Malik, one of the San Bernardino shooters came to the United States on a k1 visa. Not only are these cases full of fraud and deceit, theyre a serious threat to National Security. K1 visas are commonly used by human traffickers to lure innocent women and innocent men into their underground industries. A 2016 Inspector General report found 274 subjects of isis Human Trafficking investigations had successfully petitioned to bring fiances to the United States, more than needs to be done to close the vulnerabilities in our system, identified nefarious individuals who fraudulently say, i do, and pursue action against fiances who overstay their welcome and disregard of the 90 davis sa program requireme requirements. I talked about our witnesses and want to thank them for coming to testify, especially those to discuss details of their private personal experiences. I now call on senator feinstein. Thanks very much, mr. Chairman. Sorry to be late. I raced down to vote and got delayed on the way. You can probably figure out how. I cant to thank you for holding this hearing and particularly thank dr. Hussain for being here. He is a california from lakewood and i very much look forward to your testimony. The abuses of the fiance visa are startling. According to a january 4th, 201516 department of Security Office of the Inspector General, the report says this, i quote, work and fiance visas were the primary means by which known traff traffickers brought victims to the United States. Specifically, the ig discovered 32 known human traffickers. Let me emphasize, these are people confirmed to be human traff traffickers, used the immigration sim to bring people in the pats 32 years. Out of these known traff trafficker, they identified 17 instances where they used the fiance visa or work visa to bring victims to the United States. According to the i. G. , these victims were later forced into involuntary servitude, prostitution, in order to carry out their trafficking scheme and they would often confiscate their passport and force them into involuntary servetory. 7 of the 8 suspects reviewed had been arrested and convicted for trafficking children. Another seven convicted for labor trafficking or involuntary ser servetute. This is a big broad area. Lastly, 274 individuals subject to Human Trafficking investigations successfully petitioned the department of Homeland Security to bring in 425 family members and fiances. The i. G. Was not able to determine if these 425 individuals were also subject to prostitution and claverry, meaning there could be an additional 425 victims unknown to the government. Mr. Chairman, with your permission, and hopefully without objection, id like to enter the i. G. s report into the record. Without objection, it will be so introduced. Thank you. The numbers are startling. I hope the department is prepared to address the steps it has taken to address these concerns raised by the i. G. I also believe this report is just another reason why the u and t visa, for victims of crimes including academic violence and rain and Human Trafficking are vital to the integrity of other imgreat lami system and our nation is morally obligated to provide. I look forward to testimony from the witnesses and i thank you for holding this hearing. I will ask the witnesses, even though some i already referred to. I mentioned miss lopez in my statement, she was married to a Dutch National who used her solely to get a green card. After leaving her, miss lopez learned her husband was very behind on Child Support of a previous marriage and has an extensive history. She now works to help others in similar situations. Thank you for your humanitarian work. Graegs ce is from the insti of genderbased violence. We work to improve the information that foreign fiances receive about their prospective spouse and seek for unaccountability to match couples overseas. I also talked about mr. Hussain, in an opening statement. He is a naturalized citizen from pakistan and cardiologist in california. His fiance left him before the marriage and claimed he abused her to seek an immigration visa. His story is another example how innocent americans are being victimized in regard to k1 visa fraud. I would ask you to stand and id like to give you an oath at this point. If you would raise your right hand. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . Please be seated and well go in the order i introduced you. Would you start out, miss lopez . Thank you. Mr. Chairman, madam Ranking Member and for the other members of the esteemed Senate Judiciary committee. My name is Maria Elena Lopez and i was tricked by the love of my life. In 1998 i met a dutchman doing business in the United States. We immediately hit it off and started dating long distance. He was romantic, kind and generous. During one of our many visits he proposed and pledged his love wanting to grow old together. Neither of us had much money, i just put myself through college and a political news reporter. He was in the import export business and suggested we go for a civil ceremony to give us time for a full honeymoon. When my stepmother objected eric hey sured everyone we would have a Church Wedding every year. I took a lower paying job in my field for a sponsorship for the visa. I borrowed money from my mother to get an apartment and computer so he wouldnt feel so isolated in his homeland. When his k1 was approved we were married. I thought we were happy. Conscientiously set up the bills and started paying back my mother. When i asked about Child Support he said he paid through a dutch account and put off saving for that honeymoon. He eventually found work yet kept putting off that promised wedding and honeymoon. I became disturbed and a week before the anniversary, he co coldly said we were divorcing. I thought he were having marriage problems and suggested counseling. Then the cruelest thing i ever heard in my life, he shade our marriage was a practicality to get a green card and mocked me. I was stunned and immediately filed for a separation. Within days his parents confi confirmed this. When he caught wind of my Legal Proceedings and removing my sponsorsh sponsorship, he became violent and tried to strangle me. When the police arrived, he calmed down and i was told to brush it off. When i tame home he was packing. He said know one would believe him and a few minutes later i was looking down the barrel of a rival and he started shooting blanks at me and laughing. I grabbed my key s and fled the house, this time for good. Pennsylvania police this time refused to take action. They were more worried about whether i was paid to marry my husband than if he was trying to kill me. Erics behavior changed so abruptly i wondered if i ever knew who he was. I started trying to find out. I tracked down an exwife in europe who hadnt received Child Support in years and by then eric was making 148,0 148,000. During their divorce, eric stole her car for insurance and refused to pay child spot and accused her of an illegal drug operation. She was terrified of eric but even more afraid of dutch Child Services taking her new toddler away. She eventually escaped the country to get away from his nefarious business network. I found his boss you suspected of embezzling Company Funds but could not quite catch him redhanded. I dug through my own files and found my own credit changed. And he lied on immigration forms. I contacted the investigators, they say they get cases like this all the time. We were married two years and running out of time before citizenship. I hired an ex fbi agent as a provided investigator. If the department of Homeland Security wasnt going to do its job we were going to do it for them. If we documented eric was unable to get a green card in the first place. Domment activity and married me for a green card, the feds would have to do something and i was wrong. Immigration officials refused to take our sworn statements or accept our evidence. I was able to get a reserve protected address information Domestic Violence victims. Ill never know the e stent of the fraud or criminal activities eric committed but i did my best to warn our country witnessonced out. My life is forever change. I am now in hiding and putting myself in danger coming to this committee today. I am financially cleaned out and with the help of the government i have been made one side of a sham marriage. Although its difficult to relive the trauma ive been through, i want to speak up to help other people and prevent this from happening to them. Thank you very much. Thank you for that outstanding testimony. Im sorry and we thank you for coming forward even with the dangers you say you may face and i hope you dont face them. As the policy director at the pacific Asian Institute on genderbased violence im deeply honored to be here to comment on the impact of the immigrant survivors and Human Trafficking. The a. P. Violence Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking and other forms of genderbased violence in the ashaab Pacific Island asian specific island. And we work with asian Pacific Islander victim s as well as other victims. Apigbb has successfully worked to educate society about addr s addressing victim blaming attitu attitudes, making victim systems more accessible and advocating for policies that support justice for victims of dpomesti and Sexual Violence. We strongly believe in the importance of familybased immigration. And opportunities and freedom for themselves. Families are important for the new immigrants and impact in the stability of our communities. In our work, we work to support healthy