Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told President Trump during a cabinet meeting Tuesday that a federal review of visa filings in Minnesota uncovered a fraud rate of approximately 50%, according to DHS officials.
Noem added that the findings followed a directive from the President to investigate irregularities in the state’s immigration programs.
Noem stated that thousands of individuals in Minnesota had submitted fraudulent information in visa applications, including false identities, fabricated family relationships, and other misrepresentations. “Fifty percent of them are fraudulent,” Noem said in the meeting, adding that individuals who filed fraudulent documents “never should have been in this country” and gained access to government programs using falsified claims.
Federal officials said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently conducted in-person reviews of at least 1,000 immigrant households across the state over a two-week period. Nearly half were found to be involved in some form of immigration fraud, according to internal briefings provided to DHS leadership.
USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said officers encountered a wide range of violations during the operation, including marriage fraud, overstayed visas, forged documents, individuals claiming employment at businesses that did not exist, and abuse of visa programs such as H-1B and F-1 categories. Edlow said the scope of fraud uncovered in the review was “blatant” and required immediate federal action.
Former Minneapolis Sheriff Rich Stanek, who has worked with federal authorities on previous investigations in the state, said the problems have been allowed to grow in part because local officials “simply didn’t ask or ignored it,” referring to longstanding concerns about immigration fraud in the region.
DHS officials said the department is preparing removal actions against individuals who filed fraudulent applications and will seek recovery of taxpayer funds issued through federal programs based on falsified information. Noem said DHS intends to remove those who obtained benefits unlawfully and pursue avenues to recoup misallocated federal money.
The fraud review comes as federal agencies continue separate investigations into large-scale fraud schemes affecting Minnesota, including cases in which individuals used government programs under false pretenses. DHS officials say the department is prioritizing immigration fraud enforcement as part of efforts to strengthen visa integrity and prevent abuse of federal programs.
