Northwestern Professor On The Hook For "Shell Marriage" Gone Awry

Northwestern Professor Charles Mills

Northwestern University professor Charles Mills married his wife Elle in 1993 to help her secure U.S. citizenship. The two are now parting ways, and Mills is on the hook for support payments — even though their “shell marriage” was never consummated.

Mills is a professor of moral and intellectual philosophy, specializing in political theory on race. He’s authored several books on the topic, including Contract and Domination and Radical Theory, Caribbean Reality.

In 2003, Mills filed for divorce but didn't tell his wife, and a judge granted him a default judgment of divorce. Elle Mills found out, and successfully challenged that judgment.

In 2009 the Cook County divorce case was tried. Judge Moshe Jacobius awarded Elle Mills about $1,000 per month along with $126,000 to be paid over three years.

The two lived together for just three months during their 17-year marriage. Mills became a U.S. citizen in 1995, but his wife never received her U.S. green card.

The Tribune reported that Jerome Kaplan, Charles Mills’ attorney on the appeal, offered this explanation for the couple’s convoluted union:

“It’s a very unusual factual situation,” he said. “People sometimes are very intelligent but don't put their intelligence to use productively. Obviously, at some point in time, they made a judgment that they were suited to each other, but as it developed it just didn't work out.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Chris Bentley in News on January 5, 2012 11:20 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Mimihaha

So, get rid of the spousal benefit in immigration matters?

No. Quit acting as if people only marry for love.

slickpoetry

I am confused. If he wasn't a U.S. citizen in 1993, how did her marrying him in 1993 allow her to stay in the U.S.?

twocee

Maybe he had a green card, allowing her to stay in the country?

I agree, the timeline doesn't make sense.

Mimihaha

I don't see why these marriages are illegal. People get married for lots of different reasons. People who are married aren't required to live together, much less have sex. If someone wants to marry someone so that second someone can stay in this country, who cares?

ChicagoD

Because it's unfair to other people trying the emigrate. Like married people who can't participate in a sham marriage. And historically it absolutely was required that the couple have sex to be married. I think your concerns are more easily addressed by doing away with the spousal benefit, letting people get married for any reason they want to, and making everyone go through the same immigration procedure.

Mimihaha

People *get* married for any reason they want. And I have never noticed anyone making sure people who are married have actually had sex with each other to make it 'legal.' That went on in the past, but now, there's no Marriage Police checking on stuff like that.

ChicagoD

So, get rid of the spousal benefit in immigration matters? Because it is manifestly unfair to let people jump to the head of the line because they convinced someone to marry them with no intention of living as a married couple.

Lloyd Bergenson

How are you going to guarantee US citizens who marry non-citizens aren't going to have their spouse deported? Not every marriage is a shell marriage.

ChicagoD

Ask mimihaha, not me.

DogmeatNYC

Put him in jail and after he does his time deport him.
Put her in jail and after she does her time deport her.

Commit immigration fraud and be deported.

BombaySplashVermouth

A true ain't nothing happenin' here folks, keep on walkin'.

ANGRYGOD11

For all those who say illegal immigrants should just go through the correct legal process, this case is exhibit A why the system doesn't work. She married an educated man in 1993. He became in citizen in 1995. And she wasn't able to secure a freakin' green card by 2003?

ChicagoD

Interesting that this what you got from this story. I got "fraud" you got "broken system." Note it does not say whether she actually did anything to get a green card . . .

Nicholas

Let's call this what it actually is: immigration fraud. The Professor is an educated man and is lucky the only price he will likely pay is the court-ordered support.

ChicagoD

I feel like Professor Mills is playing a dangerous game. He's trying to skate out of a 1993 "shell" (or, more properly stated, "sham") marriage to avoid paying alimony. However, if I'm reading this correctly, he became a U.S. citizen in 1995. I would not be surprised if his citizenship application contained some false information related to his sham marriage. That could endanger his citizenship. I see that his lawyer is not admitting the marriage was an immigration scam, but his client is really rolling the dice here.