For more than a decade, prosecutors say, a Fall River, Massachusetts, woman ran a business selling the American dream, and President Trump is the reason it dried up. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley announced charges on Wednesday against six people in an alleged sham marriage ring that arranged hundreds of fake marriages so illegal aliens could get green cards. Five are in federal custody.

According to court filings, alleged ringleader Jennifer Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, arranged 18 to 20 marriages a year for about 12 years and charged $38,000 to $40,000 per case, with extra payments to the co-conspirators who stood in as brides. Authorities say the ring brought in more than $6 million, and that Gonzalez put the money into land and property in the Dominican Republic, which she called “my country.” Prosecutors say she also collected about $124,500 in SNAP benefits from Massachusetts between 2019 and 2026.

The recordings tell the story. In footage released by Attorney General Todd Blanche, Gonzalez tells a cooperating witness, “Massachusetts is the best place for you to be.” Then she explains why she stopped: “My husband got sick, but also that’s when Trump was becoming a president, you know, what I’m saying?” She said she did not work in 2025 “because immigration was a little bit harsh.”

Blanche said the fraudsters knew exactly what was coming. “The fraudster even ‘stopped doing weddings at the end of 2024 when Trump was becoming President’ because they knew @POTUS Trump would enforce the law,” he wrote. “Under his leadership, they’re going to face justice for taking advantage of our country.” Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS and several inspectors general worked the case.

“It is alleged Ms. Gonzalez got rich by selling the American dream, all the while by sending money to another country,” Foley said. “The American dream is not for sale. It is earned. And when you try to pilfer it for profit, we will hold you accountable.” The investigation is ongoing, and the message from the Trump administration is clear: citizenship is not a product, and the people who sell it will answer for it.