California Teacher Married Gaza Man on April 5

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler stated this week that individuals who marry for immigration benefits should expect to be discovered and prosecuted. The Department of Homeland Security said it would look into Laura Pinho, a 51-year-old California public school dance teacher.

Pinho announced during a June 16 webinar titled “Challenging Zionism In Our Schools” that she married a man in Gaza to equalize opportunities.

“I have power as an American citizen. I have a passport that I was just born with, and how can I live in this world if I don’t make every effort to equalize the playing field on whatever way that I can,” she said. Utah County Clerk marriage records show Pinho married Salem S.E.

Abu Amra on April 5. Utah permits virtual marriages when both parties present valid ID and obtain a license beforehand. One month earlier, Pinho launched a GoFundMe describing Abu Amra as the primary caregiver for a family of five whose days were spent securing clean water and foraging for food.

Pinho told The Post on Friday that she married Abu Amra because she is “wildly in love” with him and denied the marriage was for citizenship purposes. She said she omitted mention of the marriage in the CODEPINK webinar because her ex, improv coach Derek J. Reid, was within earshot.

Entering a marriage to obtain a green card is a federal crime carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. USCIS, under the Department of Homeland Security, stated it has enhanced its investigative capabilities to pursue marriage fraud cases. Abu Amra posted an image of a rifle with a rose in its hand guard next to the word “Palestine” in November 2018.