Introducing Codias Law Action
Today we are announcing a national advocacy arm of Codias Law, America’s premier immigration law firm for U.S. citizens who are victims of immigration fraud.
For years, the border has captured the nation’s attention, masking a far more insidious scandal: the collapse of the lawful immigration system itself—where laws go unenforced and antifraud safeguards are deliberately dismantled. Why spend billions on border security if foreign threats can march through the front door?
At Codias Law, we represent U.S. citizens who are victimized not only by foreign nationals but by an unfeeling, unresponsive bureaucracy that routinely prioritizes the wishes of foreign nationals over the rights of U.S. citizens.
By volume, marriage-based fraud dominates the crisis, including one-sided marriage fraud, VAWA fraud, and I-751 fraud. Nearly a quarter of all new immigrants—roughly 300,000 per year—enter as spouses of U.S. citizens. The incentives for fraud are irresistible: exemption from visa caps, adjustment of status, inadmissibility waivers, expedited citizenship, and accelerated chain migration.
Throughout the 20th century, Congress repeatedly strengthened marriage fraud enforcement—culminating in the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments Act of 1986, which created today’s antifraud framework:
A statutory bar at the petition stage;
A two-year conditional residency period;
A reduced evidentiary standard in removal; and
A standalone felony offense for marriage fraud.
Yet today, federal agencies fail to enforce this law. Absent special circumstances, ICE does not investigate marriage fraud, and DOJ does not prosecute it. These law enforcement agencies punt to USCIS—an administrative agency that, according to GAO, lacks even a national antifraud strategy.
Our firm obtained internal data proving it. For marriage and U visa cases, USCIS denies benefits for fraud at a rate of literally 0%. This is not just implausible—it is a national scandal. Even when fraud is detected, USCIS is granting waivers at a rate upwards of 80%. The legal immigration system is a ticking time bomb.
On June 25, 2025, Codias Law formally launched its national advocacy efforts by testifying before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement—exposing the national immigration fraud crisis on the national stage. Codias Law Action is an extension of those efforts.
Through that process, it became clear that even among policymakers sympathetic to fraud victims, many are not well-versed in the scale, mechanics, or consequences of immigration fraud—and are eager for clear, practical, legally sound solutions.
We believe we have a unique role to play. As the only law firm in the country advocating exclusively for U.S. citizens victimized by immigration fraud, Codias Law offers unmatched insights into how these fraud schemes operate, why current laws fail, and what reforms are needed for immediate, lawful change.
The goal of this initiative is to serve our clients beyond legal services—by investing time and effort into crafting laws, policies, and procedures that prevent and respond to immigration fraud directly harming U.S. citizens.
Codias Law Action exists to meet this need—by amplifying victims’ voices, defining problems with clarity, and advancing actionable solutions for the benefit of U.S. citizens and the nation.
FAQs
What is Codias Law Action?
Codias Law Action is the national advocacy arm of Codias Law, dedicated to crafting laws, policies, and procedures that prevent and respond to immigration fraud directly harming U.S. citizens. Launched in connection with the firm's testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement on June 25, 2025, the initiative amplifies victims' voices, defines systemic problems with clarity, and advances actionable solutions for the benefit of U.S. citizens and the nation.
Why was Codias Law Action created?
Through the firm's congressional testimony and advocacy work, it became clear that even among policymakers sympathetic to fraud victims, many are not well-versed in the scale, mechanics, or consequences of immigration fraud. As the only law firm in the country advocating exclusively for U.S. citizens victimized by immigration fraud, Codias Law recognized a unique opportunity to serve clients beyond legal services — by investing in systemic reforms at the federal level.
How widespread is marriage-based immigration fraud?
Marriage-based immigration is the largest and most fraud-prone category of lawful immigration. Nearly a quarter of all new immigrants — roughly 300,000 per year — enter as spouses of U.S. citizens. The incentives for fraud are significant: exemption from visa caps, adjustment of status, inadmissibility waivers, expedited citizenship, and accelerated chain migration. Internal USCIS data obtained by Codias Law shows that for marriage and U visa cases, the agency denies benefits for fraud at a rate of 0%, and even when fraud is detected, USCIS grants waivers at a rate upwards of 80%.
What types of immigration fraud does Codias Law Action address?
Codias Law Action focuses on marriage-based fraud, which dominates the crisis by volume. This includes one-sided marriage fraud where a foreign national exploits a romantic relationship to obtain immigration benefits, VAWA fraud involving false allegations of domestic violence to secure immigration benefits, and I-751 fraud related to the removal of conditions on permanent residence. These fraud schemes directly harm U.S. citizens through financial liability, false accusations, emotional trauma, and legal costs.
What antifraud laws exist and why are they not being enforced?
Congress strengthened marriage fraud enforcement throughout the 20th century, culminating in the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments Act of 1986, which created a statutory bar at the petition stage, a two-year conditional residency period, a reduced evidentiary standard in removal, and a standalone felony offense for marriage fraud under INA § 204(c). Despite this framework, ICE does not investigate marriage fraud absent special circumstances, DOJ does not prosecute it, and USCIS — the administrative agency left to address it — lacks even a national antifraud strategy according to the GAO.