Radical California Teacher Who Married Gaza Man for Citizenship Faces Federal Prosecution

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a stark warning this week: the far-left California teacher who married a man from Gaza to secure him American citizenship should brace for prosecution.

USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler stated, “These individuals should expect to be discovered and prosecuted for this illegal activity,” following revelations about the teacher's controversial marriage.

Laura Pinho, a CODEPINK activist and dance instructor, made headlines during a June 16 webinar titled “Challenging Zionism In Our Schools,” where she openly declared her marriage to a Gaza resident as an effort 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 proclaimed in the webinar, which was first reported by the North American Values Institute.

Marriage records from Utah County confirm that Pinho, aged 51, wed Salem S.E. Abu Amra on April 5. Utah permits virtual marriages as long as both parties present valid identification and secure a marriage license beforehand.

Just a month prior to their wedding, Pinho initiated a GoFundMe campaign for her husband, claiming he was the primary caregiver for a family of five. She described his daily struggles to secure clean water and food for his family.

In December 2024, Pinho shared a meme on Facebook alleging that Israel was established by “Satanic bankers.”

Abu Amra has a troubling history of social media activity that appears to glorify terrorism. In November 2018, he posted an image featuring a rifle adorned with a rose, captioned with the word “Palestine” in both English and Arabic.

In 2019, he paid tribute to Baha Abu al Atta, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist killed in an Israeli airstrike. That same year, he shared a text mosaic depicting two interlocking rifles formed from the word “Palestine” in various languages.

Pinho denied claims that her marriage was solely for citizenship purposes, asserting her “wildly in love” feelings for Abu Amra. She explained her omission of this detail during the CODEPINK webinar by citing the presence of her ex-husband, improv coach Derek J. Reid, nearby.

Engaging in green card marriages constitutes a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines reaching $250,000. The USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has ramped up its efforts to investigate marriage fraud, as confirmed by the Department of Justice.

“USCIS is constantly enhancing its investigative capabilities and will aggressively pursue individuals who engage in marriage fraud in an effort to obtain immigration benefits,” Kahler stated.

The Post has reached out to Abu Amra for comment.