Green Cards for Cash: The Alleged Greed Inside America’s Immigration System
Some individuals of Nigerian origin have committed serious crimes in the United States despite having legitimate opportunities. Those individuals should be held accountable, but their actions should not be used to characterize Nigerians generally.
One such case involves Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former senior immigration services officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Adeniyi Akeem Somoye.
According to U.S. federal prosecutors, Ganiyu and Somoye were arrested on September 2, 2026. Ganiyu is accused of using his position at USCIS between December 2019 and March 2026 to manipulate and expedite immigration applications in exchange for illegal payments.
The applications allegedly involved:
Family-based petitions.
Green-card and adjustment-of-status applications.
Petitions to remove conditions on permanent residency.
Naturalization applications for U.S. citizenship.
According to the federal criminal complaint, the alleged scheme operated as a cash-for-immigration-approvals arrangement. Ganiyu allegedly used his official access to interfere with applications, bypassing required interviews, criminal-background checks, supervisory review, jurisdictional limits, and ordinary processing procedures. Prosecutors further allege that some applications were approved even though the applicants allegedly did not qualify.
Somoye allegedly acted as a payment intermediary. Investigators say applicants or other intermediaries sent money through Zelle, Cash App, bank transfers, and cash deposits.
Prosecutors allege that Ganiyu received approximately $671,438 through digital transfers and an additional $287,830 in cash deposits. Somoye allegedly handled approximately $1.7 million in transfers and kept part of the proceeds as his share.
The complaint further alleges that applications originating from USCIS offices in Minneapolis, Charlotte, and Houston were routed or taken over so that they could be handled outside normal local supervision.
Both men were charged with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. Each could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. These are allegations, not facts, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
