ICE operation uncovers fraud in half of immigration cases

On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced the results of Operation Twin Shield. The operation — a targeted immigration and citizenship enforcement effort in Minneapolis and St. Paul — found that nearly 50% of cases involved immigration fraud.

Fraud cases included marriage fraud, H-1B visa abuses, forged documents, and “people claiming to work at businesses that can’t be found.” The operation, which ran September 19-28, included over 1,000 site visits across the metroplex. Edlow said the operation uncovered systemic issues with various immigration programs.

‘What we found should shock all of America.’

One notable example was the Uniting for Ukraine program, an initiative created by the Biden administration to “welcome 100,000 Ukrainian citizens and others forced to flee their homes in Ukraine.” The program allowed “U.S.-based individuals and entities” to sponsor Ukrainians for entry. According to Edlow, ICE and its partners uncovered “troubling patterns with the program that should have raised serious concerns.”

Issues with the Uniting for Ukraine program included one individual filing to sponsor over 100 people and companies filing to sponsor hundreds. Under a Biden administration directive, people brought into the country under this program were eligible to stay in the U.S. for up to two years and could apply to stay longer. They were also automatically authorized to work while in the U.S.

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Photo by Dominic Gwinn / Contributor via Getty Images

In addressing the fraud and other systemic issues uncovered by Operation Twin Shield, Edlow emphasized the magnitude of the issue: “What we found should shock all of America. … Every case of fraud we uncover damages our national security.” He went on to say that systemic issues and abuses like those uncovered by the operation degrade the integrity of the immigration system as a whole.

Minneapolis has been at the center of the immigration debate in recent years, following a surge in immigration — particularly from Somalia — under President Joe Biden and Democrat Governor Tim Walz. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), whose district encompasses most of Minneapolis, is a Somali immigrant. Allegations of potential immigration fraud have put her in the spotlight in recent months.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!