ICE Sweep in Twin Cities Uncovers Fraud in Half of Immigration Cases

Federal immigration authorities say nearly half of the immigrants targeted in a recent Twin Cities enforcement sweep were found to be engaged in fraud or other violations, an outcome officials described as startling and indicative of wider abuses in the system.

Joseph B. Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), detailed the findings, citing sham marriages, expired visas, fictitious employers, counterfeit paperwork, and misuse of student and skilled worker visas as recurring themes. “Our officers found indications of fraud, non-compliance or public safety and national security concerns,” Edlow said. “What they found should shock all of America,” he said, according to The New York Post.

The effort, dubbed Operation Twin Shield, saw USCIS officers—assisted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—visit 1,000 homes across Minneapolis and St. Paul over a two-week period. Authorities said they detected fraud in nearly 50 percent of cases. The operation launched September 13 and concluded last week. “This is the first of many,” Edlow warned. “Any city should be prepared to be the site for an operation of this magnitude.”

Officials reported several arrests, though they withheld an exact number, citing ongoing proceedings. The Twin Cities were chosen, investigators said, because intelligence pointed to the area as a hub for immigration abuses, particularly fraudulent marriages.

One case involved a Kenyan man who purchased a fraudulent death certificate for $100 to remarry and secure U.S. residency, despite his wife being very much alive in Minneapolis—where she was raising their five children. “Incidentally, he has another wife living in Sweden with whom has an additional three children,” Edlow noted.

Another case concerned the child of a man flagged as a potential terrorist and banned from air travel, who had repeatedly attempted marriage scams before being detained for removal. In a separate incident, an immigrant tricked an elderly American woman into marriage and, though the union later dissolved, she reportedly remains fearful of retaliation.

“I want the American people to know that we are declaring war on immigration fraud,” Edlow declared. “We have a responsibility to keep this system legitimate. What has been uncovered by these diligent officers over the past two weeks, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

Minnesota is home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States, numbering over 82,000. While Somali arrivals began in the 1990s as refugees fleeing famine and civil strife, concerns over fraud have periodically surfaced—exacerbated by past claims against Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was accused of marrying her brother to aid his immigration status. Omar has dismissed those allegations as “false and ridiculous.”

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