The Nation - News from Aug. 8, 1986

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed on a voice vote a bill to crack down on phony marriages between U.S. citizens and foreigners trying to remain in the United States. The bill would allow foreign spouses to obtain temporary residency but would require that they prove that they are still married two years later by showing cohabitation, joint tax returns or other evidence. It would toughen penalties for violations. Immigration officials estimate that nearly one-third of foreigners’ petitions for special residency status involve fraud.