Feds urged to crack down on fake passports, green cards along NYC’s Roosevelt Avenue

Fed-up residents are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on the illicit sale of fraudulent passports, green cards and Social Security cards along Queens’ notorious Roosevelt Avenue.

The Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition — a neighborhood activist group — sent a letter to DHS on Monday, sounding the alarm over the latest quality-of-life concern on the seedy strip known as the “Market of Sweethearts.”

“Counterfeit passports, green cards, and Social Security cards are being sold on Roosevelt Avenue every day. Because these documents appear identical to official identification, they may facilitate additional crimes, help individuals evade law enforcement, and pose a threat to national security,” said Hiram Monserrate, a former state senator and leader of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition.

Neighborhood activists are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on the illicit sale of fraudulent passports, green cards and Social Security cards along notorious Roosevelt Avenue. Instagram/@zombiesinnyc

A smartphone displays an image of a counterfeit green card.
DHS received a letter from the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition informing the government agency of the risks of illegal documents being sold across the neighborhood. Instagram/@zombiesinnyc

The coalition released a video of an attempted sale of phony green cards on 76th Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

“This corner 76th Street and Roosevelt Avenue has had two stabbings in two weeks. The one last Friday resulted in a murder. Gangs and cartels continue to sell fraudulent documents, traffic women and dump tons of drugs on our local streets. That’s why we keep raising our voices,” Monserrate said.

The Post reported this week that the sex trade was flourishing again on Roosevelt Avenue, as prostitution related arrests along the corridor plunged by 60% since Zohran Mamdani became mayor this year.

Roosevelt Avenue runs through the Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst and Woodside.

The Post reached out to Homeland Security, the NYPD and the mayor’s office for comment.

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