Wednesday October 1, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph B. Edlow speaks during a press conference announcing the results of Operation Twin Shield, a nine-day immigration fraud investigation in Minneapolis-St. Paul, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. The operation identified 275 suspected cases and resulted in four arrests and 42 court referrals.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (HOL) — U.S. immigration officials said they uncovered 275 cases of suspected fraud or other concerns during a nine-day operation across Minneapolis and St. Paul, but the sweep has so far resulted in four arrests and 42 referrals to immigration court.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services led the effort, called Operation Twin Shield, from Sept. 19 to 28 with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI. The agency said officers targeted about 1,000 cases with risk indicators and made more than 900 site visits and in-person interviews.
Officials said the suspected violations included sham marriages, forged documents and visa overstays. In one case, a man admitted buying a fake death certificate from Kenya for $100 to claim a prior marriage had ended. In another, investigators alleged an immigrant entered a fraudulent marriage that exploited an elderly U.S. citizen spouse.
USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow told reporters Tuesday that the operation would be the “first of many” in U.S. cities and that the agency is expanding its fraud-detection work. He said officers also flagged “troubling patterns” in the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program, but offered few details.
Local immigration attorneys cautioned that the early numbers show a wide gap between suspected problems and enforcement actions. Out of roughly 900 interviews, 42 people were issued notices to appear in court or referred to ICE, less than 5 percent, and four were arrested, according to figures released by the agency. They also noted that USCIS can take administrative steps short of criminal charges, including denying or rescinding benefits.
Several international students reported surprise visits by officers at apartment complexes on or near the University of Minnesota’s campus last week. The university said campus police do not enforce federal immigration law and that officials are working to keep students informed about compliance requirements.
USCIS said it expects additional referrals and adverse decisions as administrative investigations continue. The agency called the Minneapolis–St. Paul effort its first large-scale surge dedicated to a single metro area.
Watch the press conference here: