A federal immigration officer in Pennsylvania has been arrested after allegedly taking bribes from immigrants in exchange for promises of green cards, work permits, and visas—promises he had no authority to fulfill, federal prosecutors announced.

Amara Dukuly, 43, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, was employed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). According to the Department of Justice, Dukuly allegedly solicited and accepted bribes from immigrants for nearly a decade, pocketing their money while claiming he could secure legal status for them.

The kicker? Dukuly didn’t even have the authority to make those promises.

The DOJ charged Dukuly with bribery of a public official after investigators found he used his position to enrich himself while defrauding hopeful immigrants desperate to secure legal status in America. According to court documents, Dukuly converted the bribe payments for his personal benefit, continuing the alleged scheme for years without fulfilling a single promise.

“After seeking, receiving and accepting money in return for being influenced while performing an official act, Dukuly converted the monies he obtained from the bribes for his personal benefit,” U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said in a statement.

The DOJ did not specify how many immigrants Dukuly is accused of defrauding, but the alleged bribes reportedly spanned from 2015 to 2024, a near decade of exploiting vulnerable immigrants while wearing the badge of a federal officer.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI are leading the investigation into Dukuly’s case, signaling the seriousness of the alleged breach of public trust within a federal agency.

The arrest comes as illegal immigration and the failures of the U.S. immigration system remain top concerns for voters and policymakers. Under the Biden administration, border chaos, catch-and-release policies, and weak interior enforcement allowed human trafficking, cartel activity, and fraudulent schemes to flourish, critics say.

The Trump administration has prioritized restoring law and order within federal immigration operations. The arrest of Dukuly is the latest example of federal agencies cracking down on corruption within their own ranks while working to secure the immigration system from fraud and abuse.

Observers are asking tough questions: How did a federal employee manage to run this bribery racket for nearly a decade without detection? How many immigrants were defrauded and left in limbo or in fear of deportation after paying bribes they believed would secure their futures?

This case highlights a broader systemic issue. Some federal employees exploit immigrants’ desperation and confusion around America’s complex immigration system. Immigrants, often unfamiliar with U.S. laws and fearful of deportation, are vulnerable targets for corrupt actors who promise them legal status in exchange for under-the-table cash.

While immigration agencies like USCIS and ICE face mounting pressure to clear massive backlogs and manage illegal crossings, cases like Dukuly’s demonstrate the importance of integrity and oversight within immigration enforcement. Americans want a system that rewards legal pathways and enforces the law, not one where bribes buy illusions and corrupt bureaucrats profit from the system’s failures.

Dukuly now faces serious federal charges and, if convicted, could spend years in prison for betraying the public trust, scamming immigrants, and tarnishing the reputation of an agency tasked with safeguarding America’s legal immigration system.

Bottom line: While the Biden years saw chaos and inaction, Trump’s DOJ and federal agencies are cleaning house, rooting out corruption, and working to ensure that the American immigration system operates fairly, legally, and transparently.