How is it possible that an illegal immigrant can legally marry a U.S. citizen?

I've actually wondered that myself.

Marriage is a legally binding contract. If one member of the union is not legal under the jurisdiction of the US, can the marriage contract actually be considered binding? It's like marrying a minor.

An illegal immigrant can legally marry a U.S. citizen as long as they are both consenting adults and both are free to marry each other. Whether or not the illegal immigrant can stay in the U.S. is a completely different issue. Generally, the INS will forgive an overstay if the illegal becomes married to a citizen and the marriage is bona fide. But this area is tricky and you should get an attorney's advice.

It just is. If a US citizen marries the illegal immigrant, the legal INS process begins and the immigrant is now allowed to stay because green card proceedings will now start up.

One catch is that the green card residency is at first temporary and good for only 2 years. At that point the couple has to prove they're still married in order for the spouse to renew the residency. After that it lasts indefinitely, or until the person possibly decides to apply for citizenship.

What? You think we should only beable to marry other americans? That would get messy. Illegal immigrants are just illegal. And marrage makes them legal. Its just paper work. Sometimes people do it for $ (this isn't the most possitive thing in the US - but it happens) others are inlove. And yay for them.

You can marry whoever you want whether you love them or not theres no law against that. But that still doesn't make that person a legal citizen of the US they still have to have Goverment approval to become a US citizen.

Because marriage is a fundamental right in the United States. Under the law, any limitation on marriage is given "strict scrutiny" by the courts. People are free to marry who they want unless the government has a really really good reason to limit it. (i.e. incest is morally reprehensible so it is illegal to marry your close relatives)

One would not choose for who we fall in love with. There are immigration rules that enable us to marry human beings from different worldwide places and via us get carry of criminal status in this united states of america for this reason, protecting the relatives mutually.

You can marry anyone you like .. but marriage per se doesn't automatically lead to citizenship ... it only means you can apply for legal residency ... go through all background checks, including medical and financial ... and if you don't qualify on those grounds, residency, let alone citizenship, will be denied ...

That is because marriage and immigration are two different things.

I'm ok with that kind of marriage, but I do think a marriage like that should not result in a residence permit or US citizenship.

By hiding the fact that the illegal is illegal

or breaking the law yet again and filing false papers?