If a muslim sheik brings all his wives with him to visit America will he be arrested for polygamy?

[laurieluvsit]

I am very serious.

I was just wondering because if you are participating in an activity that breaks a US law, even though it is legal in their country, wouldn't that be grounds to be arrested in the US?

Does anyone know?

So if he can be here with all of them than does that means that he can prance around with all these wife's showing them off and flaunting our laws like they mean nothing to him? ... is that OK too?

A. YES! That is totally illegal in the US and he would be subject to arrest unless he only brought one of his wives with him

B. No, no one in the US would care, he can bring all the wives that he wants to with him and showcase them in the US while laughing at all those that think it is wrong

C. I am in favor of polygamy, so it wouldn't make any difference to me what he did in that regard, more power to him, it should be a free world to marry anyone you want and as many as you want

D. OMG Laurie, you have obviously ran out of questions again! Regroup and come back with a better question please.

E. OTHER, see my comments below, or just open the "Muslim Polygamy" survey

[nightdrot]

It is actually a pretty good question. I voted "Other" because the answer - though relatively simple - is a bit more nuanced than the options proffered in the poll.

In American law, with one stipulation, marriage falls under state - and in some jurisdiction local - government jurisdiction. Consequently, a Muslim man could bring all of his wives to the United States - assuming all met the requirements for a passport and (as appropriate) visa.

If they are coming as visitors, of course, there is no problem. If they are seeking legal residency or citizenship, it becomes a different question.

Again, as relates to Federal law, no issues pertain. The exception being for Federal income tax purposes and Social Security survivor's benefits. Filing a joint return being contingent on a valid state marriage license. No state allows polygamy and therefore the Muslim man may have - as far as Federal law is concerned - as many wives as he likes but may only claim one.

It is at the state level that things vary. No state allows polygamy - though the Utah Territory, dominated by Mormons, briefly tolerated it in the mid-19th century. A Muslim man could therefore not claim a marriage license with more than one woman.

In theory, a Muslim man with a valid marriage license from another country might be able to seek an exemption in the courts - again depending on the state and/or local jurisdiction. However, the odds of prevailing would be slim at best. Under the Constitution, states must give each other "full faith and credit" to their documents and official papers, but are under no obligation, unless stipulated by treaty between the US and another government, to recognize the documents of a foreign government.

As far as living arrangements, of course, men and women have wide latitude to live as they choose. However, in terms of legal protections, there would be none.

[holidaze]

There has been some very good points brought up already, I would simply add that if the Saudi might also be here as a diplomat, he would probably have diplomatic immunity and could not be charged with a crime here.

Laurie, in a somewhat related note, if life would have placed you in a situation where you could have possibly been a member of a harem, is that something you could see yourself doing? And before you dismiss it quickly, think about it, you would be with the Saudi, but also you have access to all those other luscious wives...

hmmmm?

[holidaze]

Thanks for the mho!

[laurieluvsit]

You're welcome, thank you for a great opinion :)

[loveisbeautiful]

Well, I guess it depends. If he comes here to visit, I'd say no because he's not living here just visiting and therefore can't arrest him for something legal in his country that he'll be going back to. If he decided to move, it would be easy to say yes but there is those Mormon communities in Utah like that and then there's the show Sister Wives where the guy his married to three women. Being as it's aired on national television, it's obviously legal somewhere here in the U. S. So, honestly it's kind of a coin toss, I suppose it could go anyway. That's a good question though.

[Katie1964]

I voted D because I thought it was funny and clever.

[laurieluvsit]

... lol

Thank you :)

[Kelly6]

Thanks
But I also support poly lifestyle

[razelove]

I think bigamy laws should be overturned. If a man can be a woman, gays can be married, and black lives matter most, why can't a man be with two women, or a woman with two men in a marriage, or whatever other scenario they want? I find that double standard funny sometimes, and sickening others. Acceptance of poly is low, though poly relationships are more common than transgender, .6% of adults are trans, 5% are non-monogamous.

Those laws only came out to persecute mormons in the first place anyway, like it isn't bad enough the foundation of their religion is angels with invisible golden plates and stuff, then getting kicked out of every state they went to until they got to Utah. Anyone else who's been to Utah, you know it's about as exciting as a game of kick the can. There's farmland, SLC, and the salt flats, whoo.

Anywho, he would be arrested if he brought more than one wife. As it stands right now, if you have a marriage license for more than one person you're breaking federal law, legally you can only have one spouse. You can have multiple wedding ceremonies and just never file them with a court, or claim more than one woman as your wife and that's legal. Also sure not to cause any jealousy at all to any women who come along after your first wife.

reference
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/how-many-adults-identify-as-transgender-in-the-united-states/
https://www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/1/08/polyamory-numbers

[AbleLearner]

Indigenous women in South America actually marry up to three husbands. This is very practical because the men can more easily care for her while she is pregnant.

there is nothing sinful or wrong about consentual polygamy. What is wrong is when a girl is forced into an arranged marriage to a false prophet, like Warren Jeffs or whatever his name was.

Rich men should actually marry multiple women, and hopefully they would actually marry POOR women and help them out of poverty.

Similarly, rich women should actually marry multiple men, and again, she should actually marry less wealthy men.

Back in 2001 I hung out on a certain tech support site that a few of the best Starcraft players also visited. The administrator had like 5 rules, but you could pretty much say or do anything you wanted. So one day we were talking about sexual preferences, and the two most liberal women members were talking about what they like, and one was polyamoourous, and she was like, "I want one husband for the best sex and another one for the best conversations." And she wasn't even joking, she was dead serious.

[Moonchild714]

They can all visit as a family they just can't live here as Husband and Wives. But they have found a way around this they move here with the first Wife then bring all the others as Sisters or other Family Members and Secretly live as Husband and Wives.

[laurieluvsit]

I'm not surprised :)

[Anonymous]

The key word here is that he is coming to "visit," not live or become a US citizen. Under US law, he may come with his wives, however, they will not be treated as such under US law or given any of the benefits or considerations normally given to a spouse of a citizen because it is illegal to have more than one wife in the US. Assuming diplomatic immunity or some such, he wouldn't be arrested unless he were actively trying to commit a crime on US soil, in which case, he would be sent back to his home country where nothing would obviously happen.

[ZackBan]

Alright first: "all" his wives is essentially 4 wives that's the limit Muslims have.
And second: since he did not marry them in the US as in by the power invested by the state of *insert state* I doubt they can do anything legally speaking. And besides I doubt the state will charge him with polygamy just like that, it has to be one of the wives that presses charges and usually wives in a harem are not strong enough in character to do it (usually)

[WhiteShoulder]

No. Polygamy is only illegal if you actually reside in a state that bans it (I think all 50 do). You can bring your multiple wives (or husbands) if you visit. Now if one of those wives wants to get away from the sheikh while she's visiting and ask for asylum because he's abusing her, that's a different story.

[abc3643]

No, because it has no bearing in the USA with the possible exception of the Sheikh becoming incapacitated (such as in a coma) while visiting and medical decisions need to be made. In that case, the USA might recognize the first wife as being the person to make the decision. However, a Sheikh visiting would likely be an example of a diplomatic visit in which case USA law doesn't really apply due to diplomatic immunity and we'd let the Sheikh's entourage collectively determine how they respond...

[MrOracle]

In the US, only his first wife would be legally recognized as his wife, but otherwise, no one is going to care if he brings them or what goes on in his bedroom. It's no different than people who have open/poly relationships - there's no bedroom police.

[JustJen]

If he is a visitor, he is not subject to US law when it comes to his circumstances in his home country. It's legal in his country, so he didn't do anything wrong. If he was to become a resident of the US, all of the marriages except for the first one would be invalid. Still not criminal, as he married when a resident of another country where it's legal.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing no, because the Sheikh would have political immunity, but it's not just for the Sheikh that they can have multiple wives, any Muslim man can have as many wives as he wants to.
So the question really would become, what would happen to the average Muslim man with multiple wives when he decides to enter USA with all of his wives?

[Abdullah5121998]

Not as many wives as we want... we are only allowed to have 4 wives

[Jamie05rhs]

Forget the polygamy laws; what about the human trafficking laws? What if some of those wives were sold to him? Is there a statute of limitations on the sex trade? If the man marries the girl does that mean the relationship is then legitimized?

Also, do CBP or INS officers ever check the INTERPOL database?

[motownplayer2000]

No, just disguise it as polyamory like the rest of the people that do it.. lol he can say that three of them are his gfs..

Yes, when you come into this country, you are required to follow the laws.. that's the whole point in having them. If they didn't it would he tough to protect the people in this country.

[MadBoy]

Honestly, I'm not sure. I think if he had some form of certificate or document that shows he is legally married to these women then it should be fine, even if it's not technically legal here. Then again, nobody really cares as long as you don't show off or make it obvious.

[DanOh2018]

I mean there's Americans doing it in Utah right now. Also I'm thinking that polyamorist households are going to become pretty common in the centuries to come. It's really not so bad when partners are on an equal power level and it's not bound up in religious dogma.

[seansin]

Well if that's the case there's a lot of people in Utah. Should be arrested too right you know what to each their own if a guy has f****** 5 wife and that's what they want leave them alone it's not us to judge only God

[ChgzDaniel]

I honestly know next to nothing about American law but I feel like it's only a crime if he was an American citizen that moved there to marry the women and was coming back, or the Muslim married the women in America

[DeeDeeDeVour]

I don't think he's breaking any laws here just for visiting with his wives.
If they decided to reside here, that's where it becomes tricky.

[NatalieKeller95]

what about Mormons in Utah they have more than one wife

[laurieluvsit]

Maybe so, but I don't think legally so they keep it under the radar.

I was thinking more of some arrogant person flaunting it.

[DomTreddo]

@NatalieKeller95 That breaks the 10 commandments. Adultery is a sin as a Christian.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

Just visiting nothing would happen in my opinion. How many women he brings to sleep with whether Married or not really wouldn't be breaking the laws here unless he lived here or planned to.

[normalice]

The point of polygamy laws is not to punish some behavior perceived as immoral, but to get more tax money. Someone just visiting the U. S. is not likely to pay taxes here, anyway..