The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services uncovered sham marriages, elder abuse, and other bizarre schemes in a boots-on-the-ground immigration investigation in Minnesota.
Dubbed Operation Twin Shield, the agency targeted 1,000 cases in the first large-scale investigation under new USCIS enforcement powers, Fox News Digital reported.
Immigration officers substantiated immigration fraud in forms of marriage fraud, fake death certificates and other exploitations, according to a USCIS news release.
The “first of its kind” investigation focused on fraud detection and deterrence activities in Minneapolis-St. Paul region with site visits and in-person interviews to verify applications.
The effort ran from Sept. 19-28 and uncovered suspected fraud in 275 cases —44 percent of cases interviewed. Investigators found evidence of fraud, non-compliance, or public safety or national security concerns.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said Operation Twin Shield was a “tremendous success,” adding that hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable.
“USCIS is declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud,” Edlow said. “We will relentlessly pursue everyone involved in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and laws.”
The 1,000 cases were flagged for fraud or ineligibility indicators. Immigration officers investigated applications for marriage and family-based petitions, employment authorizations and certain parole-related requests, USCIS said.
“Operation Twin Shield uncovered many lies,” the agency said. “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.”
In 42 of those cases, USCIS issued notices to appear or referred aliens to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Four were detained on-site, USCIS said.
The rest are still being investigated, and the number of arrests and court referrals is expected to rise as the investigation continues.
USCIS partnered with ICE and the FBI to carry out the investigation as part of the Trump administration’s multiagency approach to crack down on all forms of illegal immigration and related fraud. A new rule finalized earlier this month allowed USCIS to expand its law enforcement duties.
Officers knocked on doors and conducted more than 900 site visits to conduct interviews and review immigration criteria. They “targeted verifications for applicants and petitioners with pending immigration benefits who matched specified risk criteria,” USCIS said.
In one example, investigators uncovered a “sham marriage” between an immigrant and an elderly U.S. citizen that involved “elder abuse and exploitation,” according to USCIS.
Another person confessed to marriage fraud just hours after swearing under oath that her marriage was legitimate, USCIS said.
In another case, an immigrant who is the son of a suspected terrorist has overstayed his visa waiver. He previously attempted to use marriage fraud to seek immigration benefits that were denied.
Under Executive Order 14161, federal agencies can protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other public safety threats. The agency used that as the framework guiding the operation.
“Unlike during the Biden administration, USCIS immigration officers are now empowered to thoroughly vet aliens as required by law, and to pursue immigration fraud wherever it’s encountered,” USCIS said.
This Minneapolis effort was a test run of sorts, and the first time the agency has committed resources on such a large scale in a single geographic area.
Officials indicated additional fraud investigations could follow, and Operation Twin Shield could become a model for future crackdowns.
“Immigration fraud undermines the integrity of our lawful immigration system, harms those who follow the law, and poses risks to national security and public safety,” Edlow said. “Under President Trump, we will leave no stone unturned.”
