Citizenship and Immigration Services officers detained a man believed to be committing immigration fraud. (USCIS)
In one example, an immigrant engaged in a sham marriage with an elderly U.S. citizen and subjected the citizen to "elder abuse and exploitation," according to USCIS. Another immigrant admitted to fabricating a death certificate from Kenya for $100 to falsely claim the termination of a marriage — the spouse in question was alive, living in Minneapolis and the mother of five of his children.
Other cases included a petitioner who confessed to marriage fraud just hours after swearing under oath that her marriage was legitimate, and another involving an immigrant who had overstayed a visa waiver, was the son of a suspected terrorist, and had previously been denied benefits for fraud.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow described the operation as part of a broader shift in enforcement posture under President Donald Trump. "USCIS is declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud. We will relentlessly pursue everyone involved in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and laws. With help from ICE and the FBI, USCIS’ Operation Twin Shield was a tremendous success — hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable," Edlow said.
DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP, File)
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The agency pointed to Executive Order 14161, which directs federal agencies to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other public safety threats, as the framework guiding the operation. Officials emphasized that unlike during the Biden administration, USCIS officers are now empowered to thoroughly vet applicants and aggressively pursue fraud wherever it is encountered.
The Minneapolis surge marks the first time USCIS has deployed resources at this scale in a single region, and leadership suggested it could become a model for future crackdowns in other parts of the country. With more administrative investigations still underway, the number of arrests and court referrals is expected to rise.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sham-marriages-elder-exploitation-fake-death-certificates-uncovered-massive-minnesota-immigration-bust