Footage obtained by Townhall appears to suggest that federal immigration judges in Ohio can be bribed, pointing to possible vulnerabilities that make the immigration system susceptible to abuse and corruption.
The undercover, 26-minute-long video indicates migrants from Mauritania, a West African nation, are exploiting the U.S. immigration and asylum system in Lockland in Hamilton County. According to the footage and the site’s report, coaching helps some migrants navigate the asylum system and encourages them to fabricate claims to meet the legal requirements.
They are also reportedly informed that favorable rulings can be secured via illegal means, Townhall reported. If true, the report and undercover video raise questions about the integrity and oversight of the process.
The video centers on Patricia Golder, who, according to the site, “has turned the alleged manipulation of the asylum process into her business.”
According to the report, Golder says she takes a portion of the pay that Mauritanian migrants receive in exchange for helping them navigate the system. She claims she can bribe judges to rule in favor of the migrants.
The report suggests that Golder works with another woman, identified as Cindy Reis.
“She gets them their papers. She does,” Reis told the undercover reporter of Golder, who said, “I try to work with them the best I can.”
Golder seemingly acknowledged that many of those she is helping do not have documentation confirming they are in the country legally.
“Some of them have papers, some don’t,” Golder said, per the report. For those that don’t have paperwork, Golder adds, “we pay them cash.”
“And then, we can make an authorization where you say they volunteer, and you pay them,” Golder added.
Golder has to sign for the workers from some of the larger companies. However, she declined to identify the “big companies” where some of them work for the undercover reporter, citing ICE.
“I have to say I can’t do that… that’s because of the threat of ICE, so they don’t want me to leak, because ICE would go there and take them away. ICE don’t play,” Golder said, according to the report.
The Cincinnati Enquirer highlighted Mauritanian immigrants in October 2024 in a story titled, “Mauritanian immigrants are struggling in Lockland, and so is the village.” According to the report, Lockland’s population doubled from 3,500 in the summer of 2023 to more than 6,000 due to new immigrants from Mauritania and Senegal.
Lockland Mayor Mark Mason told the publication that overcrowded apartments and the conditions they create pose a threat to public safety and the local economy, as they can drive away tax-paying residents.
The city stepped up code enforcement following reports of overcrowded apartments.
