The controversial International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005: protecting the rights and interests of all parties

Abstract

The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 was enacted by Congress to help prevent abuse of foreign women who marry American men through international marriage brokers. However, opponents argue that this law violates males' privacy and free speech rights by requiring them to provide an extensive personal history prior to communicating with the foreign woman. We discuss the debate over the law through an examination of the rights of the foreign women and American males who enter into mail‐order marriages. We conclude that this is a controversial topic and calls for more debate over the issue in the legal forum.

Keywords:

• International Marriage Broker Regulation Act
• mail‐order brides
• violence against women
• free speech violation
• privacy issues