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FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) workplace performed an unprecedented large-scale investigation in Minneapolis this month, centered on those that have been committing marriage and asylum fraud.
Underneath a mission referred to as Operation Twin Defend, officers focused 1,000 instances, knocking on doorways at greater than 900 websites to conduct interviews and overview immigration standards. Coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, they discovered fraud, non-compliance, or public security and nationwide safety considerations in 275 instances.
It’s the primary operation after a brand new rule finalized earlier this month allowed USCIS to develop its legislation enforcement duties.
In 44 of these instances, the immigrants have been referred to ICE or given a discover to seem (NTA) in court docket. Two have been detained on-site. The remaining are nonetheless being investigated.
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Citizenship and Immigration Providers officers detained a person believed to be committing immigration fraud. (USCIS)
In a single instance, an immigrant engaged in a sham marriage with an aged U.S. citizen and subjected the citizen to “elder abuse and exploitation,” in accordance with USCIS. One other immigrant admitted to fabricating a loss of life certificates from Kenya for $100 to falsely declare the termination of a wedding — the partner in query was alive, residing in Minneapolis and the mom of 5 of his kids.
Different instances included a petitioner who confessed to marriage fraud simply hours after swearing below oath that her marriage was authentic, and one other involving an immigrant who had overstayed a visa waiver, was the son of a suspected terrorist, and had beforehand been denied advantages for fraud.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow described the operation as a part of a broader shift in enforcement posture below President Donald Trump. “USCIS is declaring an all-out battle on immigration fraud. We are going to relentlessly pursue everybody concerned in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and legal guidelines. With assist from ICE and the FBI, USCIS’ Operation Twin Defend was an incredible success — lots of of dangerous actors can be held accountable,” Edlow stated.
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USCIS officers performed greater than 900 web site visits in Minneapolis. (Derek Shook for Fox Information Digital)
The operation was performed between Sept. 19 and 28 throughout the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. USCIS stated it’s the first time the company has dedicated assets on this scale to a single geographic space and signaled extra such crackdowns may comply with.
Officers count on the variety of NTAs, referrals to ICE and hostile adjudications to extend as investigations proceed.
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune through AP, File)
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The company pointed to Government Order 14161, which directs federal businesses to guard the US from international terrorists and different public security threats, because the framework guiding the operation. Officers emphasised that not like through the Biden administration, USCIS officers at the moment are empowered to completely vet candidates and aggressively pursue fraud wherever it’s encountered.
The Minneapolis surge marks the primary time USCIS has deployed assets at this scale in a single area, and management prompt it may change into a mannequin for future crackdowns in different components of the nation. With extra administrative investigations nonetheless underway, the variety of arrests and court docket referrals is anticipated to rise.
