How an immigration loophole let thousands of men use child brides as 'passports' to America
![Child bride.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2NkMRvmRJ8CRRYFjez55iP-415-80.jpg)
Thousands of men were able to bring child brides to America in the past decade. Thousands of child brides brought their adults husbands as well. And it's all legal under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy, government data obtained by The Associated Press shows.
From 2007 to 2017, USCIS approved 8,686 petitions for spousal or fiancee entry into America involving a minor, per data requested by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. "Girls were the younger party in 95 percent of the petitions approved by USCIS," the report says. Most girls approved were 17 years old, and most men were in their 20s, but age gaps were as wide as a 49-year-old man requesting admission for a 15-year-old girl.
These approvals are granted because USCIS policy first weighs "whether the marriage is legal in the home country and then whether the marriage would be legal in the state where the petitioner lives," AP writes. Since many states allow children to marry, men who request a child's admittance to America usually receive approval. Or, like Naila Amin, who shares a dual citizenship between Pakistan and the U.S., girls are forced to bring their husbands here. Amin was married in Pakistan at 13 and told to bring her 26-year-old husband here, saying she "was a passport to him."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), who heads the committee, and then-Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Miss.) requested this data in 2017, saying "our immigration system may unintentionally shield the abuse of women and children." After seeing the data, Johnson told AP "it indicates a loophole that we need to close." Read more at The Associated Press.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Magazine solutions - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
Magazine printables - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
'In a normal country, their activities wouldn't even be crimes'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Netanyahu makes controversial address
Speed Reads Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress denounced Gaza war protestors
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden saw neurologist during physicals
Speed Read Following his bad debate performance, many are asking questions about the president's brain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published