ICE and FBI Uncover Hundreds of Immigration Fraud Cases in the U.S

Chhabed Sathee: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, has initiated “Operation Twin Shield” to address suspected fraud in marriage and asylum cases. The operation has examined over 1,000 cases, identifying 275 instances of fraudulent activity. Immigration advocates have criticized the effort as an overreach, raising concerns about its impact on legitimate applicants. On October 3, USCIS announced plans to expand the operation, targeting an additional 500 cases by year-end, further intensifying scrutiny on immigration processes.

USCIS has referred more than 40 individuals to ICE and issued court notices, with two detentions made for offenses including sham marriages, fraud, elder exploitation, falsified death certificates, and connections to terrorism. USCIS concluded, “This is a small sample of the immigration fraud USCIS officers across the nation combat every single day.”

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow emphasized a tougher stance on enforcement, stating, “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.”

Edlow added, “With help from ICE and the FBI, USCIS’ Operation Twin Shield was a tremendous success — hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable.”

USCIS detailed specific findings, stating, “Operation Twin Shield uncovered many lies. For example, one alien admitted to fabricating a death certificate from Kenya for $100 to falsely claim the termination of a marriage—the spouse in question is alive, residing in Minneapolis, and is the mother of five of his children.”

The agency further noted, “In another case, an alien is the son of a known or suspected terrorist, he also overstayed his visa, and was previously found to have engaged in marriage fraud that resulted in the denial of several immigration benefit requests.”

BP/SM