'Large-Scale' Immigration Fraud Bust Exposes Marriage Scams, Fake Death Records, Terror Links: Feds

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Federal officials say a large-scale immigration fraud crackdown in the Twin Cities uncovered hundreds of cases of marriage scams, forged documents and even terror ties.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, carried out Operation Twin Shield from Sept. 19 to Sept. 28.

The operation involved more than 900 site visits and in-person interviews, targeting applicants with pending immigration benefits who matched risk criteria.

Of more than 1,000 cases examined, 275 showed evidence of fraud, ineligibility, or public safety concerns, according to federal officials.

Forty-two cases resulted in referrals to ICE or formal deportation proceedings, and four individuals were apprehended.

USCIS officials say investigators uncovered the following schemes:

• One man admitted to buying a fake Kenyan death certificate for $100 to claim a marriage had ended. His wife, the mother of his five children, was still living in Minneapolis.
• Another case involved the son of a suspected terrorist who overstayed his visa and previously attempted marriage fraud.
• A woman admitted to marriage fraud just hours after swearing in an interview that her marriage was legitimate.
• In another case, a foreign national exploited an elderly U.S. citizen spouse, subjecting the spouse to abuse and financial exploitation.

"USCIS is declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud," said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow. "With help from ICE and the FBI, Operation Twin Shield was a tremendous success — hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable."

Officials said the crackdown was the first time USCIS dedicated resources of this scale to a single metro area. The agency said its effort aligns with President Donald Trump’s "Executive Order 14161," which directs federal agencies to prioritize national security and immigration enforcement.

Federal authorities said they expect the number of arrests, deportation orders, and case denials to increase as more investigations are finalized.