A California public school teacher who publicly suggested she married a man living in Gaza to help him obtain U.S. citizenship should “expect to be discovered and prosecuted” if the marriage was fraudulent, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said this week.
The warning came after Laura Pinho — a Los Angeles dance teacher and activist with the leftist group CODEPINK — appeared to admit during a June webinar that her marriage was motivated, at least in part, by a desire to use her American citizenship to benefit a Palestinian man.
“These individuals should expect to be discovered and prosecuted for this illegal activity,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler told the New York Post. “USCIS is constantly enhancing its investigative capabilities and will aggressively pursue individuals who engage in marriage fraud in an effort to obtain immigration benefits.”
Federal law makes marriage fraud punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pinho made the comments during a June 16 CODEPINK webinar titled “Challenging Zionism In Our Schools.” Speaking about her recent marriage, she framed the decision as a way to “equalize the playing field.”
“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.
Marriage records filed in Utah show Pinho married Salem S.E. Abu Amra on April 5. Utah is one of a handful of states that permits remote marriage ceremonies.
The marriage came only weeks after Pinho organized a GoFundMe campaign for Abu Amra, portraying him as the primary provider for his family in Gaza and urging supporters to help him survive the ongoing war.
Abu Amra has also posted material on social media praising or glorifying Palestinian militants. Among the posts is a 2019 tribute to Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Atta after the terrorist was killed in an Israeli airstrike, as well as images featuring rifles alongside pro-Palestinian slogans. Pinho has denied Abu Amra has any connection to Hamas.
After questions were raised about her remarks, Pinho denied marrying Abu Amra to obtain U.S. citizenship for him, insisting instead that she is “wildly in love” with her new husband. She claimed she avoided discussing those feelings during the CODEPINK webinar because her former domestic partner, Derek J. Reid, was within earshot.
Reid, who shares two children with Pinho and still lives at the same address, previously told reporters he had no knowledge that Pinho had married Abu Amra. Although the couple are now separated, Reid said they continue living under the same roof but sleep in different rooms. He also suggested Pinho had become increasingly radicalized by her anti-Israel activism, telling the Post, “She’s been radicalized — I don’t know anything about that … the crowd she runs with … I’m worried for her.”
Her explanation has done little to quiet concerns after she appeared to publicly describe using the privileges of her U.S. citizenship to advance what she characterized as the Palestinian cause.
Immigration attorney and former federal prosecutor Michael Wildes previously told the Post that publicly acknowledging a marriage entered into for immigration purposes could itself trigger federal scrutiny. “She can be prosecuted criminally, brought up on federal conspiracy charges,” Wildes said. “Marriage fraud is one of the top five crimes you can perpetrate … The fact that somebody would be foolish enough to say they actually did it makes it actionable for the federal government to investigate.”
Pinho has long been a player in California’s pro-Palestinian activist movement. She sponsors the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Canoga Park Senior High School, has spoken publicly about incorporating Palestinian political messaging into her classroom, and has encouraged students to participate in anti-Israel demonstrations. Her social media activity has also drawn scrutiny, including posts claiming Israel was created by “Satanic bankers” and another endorsing a statement from Candace Owens alleging America is controlled by “Satanic pedophiles who work for Israel.”
But while Pinho’s and CODEPINK’s activism has generated controversy for years, it was her remarks about marrying a Gaza resident to “equalize the playing field” that drew the attention of federal immigration authorities. If investigators determine the marriage was entered into to obtain immigration benefits, USCIS has made clear it intends to pursue prosecution.