Man Faces Deportation For Lying To Obtain Green Card

Francis Jude Forjoe, a Ghanaian man who chased the American dream for 30 years since arriving in 1995, now confronts removal from the United States after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld a fraud finding that strips away his long-held lawful permanent resident status.

The saga began with a non-immigrant visa entry, followed by a marriage to US citizen Emma in 2002 that led to his green card approval in 2007.

During that process, he concealed a parallel long-term relationship with Christy, with whom he fathered two children born in 2004 and 2007 while still married to Emma.

US-based immigration lawyer Akua Poku, widely known as As Poku or AK Poku, detailed the timeline in explanations shared on social media platforms.

She explained, “The case does not specify the exact type of visa, but it was possibly a B2 visa. In 2002, he married a US citizen named Emma, who filed a petition for his green card.

"However, while married to Emma, he was in a long-term relationship with another woman, Christy. They had two children together, one born in 2004 and another in 2007, both during his marriage to Emma.

"In 2007, Fordjour attended his Adjustment of Status interview based on Emma’s petition. He failed to disclose to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that he had fathered two children with another woman during his marriage. As a result, USCIS approved his application, and he became a lawful permanent resident.”

Forjoe later divorced Emma and married Christy, the mother of his children who became a US citizen.

In 2012, he applied for naturalization, where the undisclosed facts surfaced during his interview.

This triggered a fraud determination by USCIS, leading the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to initiate removal proceedings in 2013.

DHS argued he had obtained his green card through willful misrepresentation and was inadmissible at the time of adjustment.

Forjoe sought a waiver under INA section 237(a)(1)(H) for fraud, but the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled it inapplicable.

As Poku narrated, “At his naturalization interview, it emerged that he had fathered two children while still married to the US citizen who petitioned for his green card. That revelation triggered a fraud finding.

"In 2013, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) placed him in removal proceedings, arguing that he had been inadmissible at the time he adjusted his status because he obtained his green card through willful misrepresentation.

"He applied for a waiver, but there was a problem. The waiver only forgives fraud committed at the time of admission. According to the Board of Immigration Appeals, ‘admission’ refers to physical entry into the US after inspection.

"The BIA ruled that this did not include Adjustment of Status. Therefore, fraud committed during adjustment cannot be waived under that provision. The BIA ultimately dismissed Fordjour’s appeal.”

The February 26, 2026, precedential decision in Matter of Forjoe (29 I&N Dec. 463, BIA 2026) overturned the prior Matter of Agour precedent, narrowing the scope of fraud waivers to physical admissions only and not adjustments of status.

An immigration judge previously found Forjoe not credible based on inconsistencies in his accounts.

As Poku concluded with a cautionary note, “Whatever you say at the embassy, at the port of entry, and during adjustment of status must align. It all connects, even 20 or 30 years later.

"At the very least, consult a knowledgeable immigration lawyer before filing any immigration application on your own, especially now. Sometimes the issue is not what you are doing today, but what happened years ago.”