U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has moved beyond arresting unauthorized immigrants to target immigration fraud. The primary focus includes marriage and family-based immigration petitions and employment visas.
According to ICE, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a major joint enforcement operation ran from September 19–28 across key cities including Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota. Authorities called it an unprecedented effort with the largest personnel deployment in a single region.
Officials concentrated on individuals with pending applications or petitions for immigration benefits. Teams conducted more than 900 site visits and in-person interviews, focusing on applicants suspected of failing to meet eligibility requirements for family sponsorship, marriage-based permanent residency, or work authorization. Authorities said they identified 275 instances indicating fraud or national-security concerns.
Four arrests were reported during the sweep. Officials added that as Notices to Appear (NTA) are issued and cases move to court, additional violations are likely to surface.
The action stems from Executive Order 14161, signed by President Donald Trump in [January], aimed at protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and national-security threats. While USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) has traditionally led immigration-fraud probes, ICE’s direct involvement was interpreted as a clearer enforcement stance.
Earlier, on September 4, ICE participated in indicting 12 suspects in Florida tied to an unlawful immigration facilitation and asylum-fraud scheme. On September 25, USCIS issued an internal policy memo prioritizing investigations into sham marriages, misuse of public benefits, and false statements and documents in green-card applications.
Also on September 4, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced a “war on immigration fraud,” stating that the agency will “fight those who seek to take benefits without the responsibilities of U.S. citizenship,” and will expand investigations and strengthen national security in close coordination with ICE and other law-enforcement partners.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
