A sweeping federal operation in Minnesota has uncovered widespread criminal activity among Islamic immigrant communities, with investigators finding that nearly half of those examined were involved in serious immigration and financial crimes, according to US officials.
The operation, conducted across the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, focused on offenses including immigration fraud, marriage fraud, tax fraud, loan fraud, bribery, forgery, perjury, bigamy, and incest. Federal authorities described the findings as deeply alarming and indicative of systemic abuse of US immigration and welfare frameworks.
Joseph B. Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said officers from the agency’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate conducted over 1,000 site visits beginning September 19 as part of Operation Twin Shield.
“What they found should shock all of America,” Edlow said.
