Serial Immigration Fraudster Working as a Minnesota Corrections Officer Arrested

 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), through Operation Twin Shield, helped identify and arrest Morris Brown, a 45-year-old Liberian national living in Minnesota without legal status. Brown entered the United States in 2014 on a student visa that was terminated in 2015 after he failed to maintain full-time enrollment. Despite losing legal status, he remained in the country, joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, later went AWOL, and was discharged under other than honorable conditions in 2022. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 15 for overstaying his visa and making false claims to U.S. citizenship. Authorities allege that Brown repeatedly committed immigration fraud, including misrepresenting his military service and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in applications for a Green Card under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program and later for naturalization. Investigators also uncovered evidence of marriage fraud and determined that he had been working as a Minnesota corrections officer by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. His case has been referred for removal proceedings and potential criminal prosecution related to immigration fraud and false statements.

Contact Darren Heyman, Las Vegas immigration attorney , for more information. 

DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen, effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Yemen was first designated for TPS on September 3, 2015, due to ongoing armed conflict that posed serious safety threats to returning nationals. The designation was extended or redesignated multiple times in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. After reviewing current conditions and consulting with other U.S. agencies, Secretary Noem determined that Yemen no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS and stated that continuing the designation would be contrary to U.S. national interests. Yemeni nationals who do not have another lawful basis to remain in the United States must depart within 60 days of the termination’s effective date. The Department of Homeland Security is encouraging voluntary departure through the CBP Home app, which offers incentives including a complimentary plane ticket, a $2,600 exit bonus, and possible future immigration opportunities. After the termination takes effect, DHS may arrest and remove Yemeni nationals without legal status, and those who are formally removed may face permanent bars to reentry.

For more information, contact Las Vegas Immigration Attorney Darren Heyman.

USCIS Assists in Marriage Fraud Conspiracy Investigation Resulting in 11 Indictments

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services assisted in an investigation that led to a three-count federal indictment against 11 individuals accused of participating in marriage fraud and bribery conspiracies. According to the indictment, the group allegedly recruited U.S. citizens—preferably members of the armed forces—to enter into sham marriages with Chinese nationals seeking to bypass immigration laws and obtain lawful permanent resident status. The fraudulent marriages occurred in several states, including Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada. To make the unions appear legitimate, the conspirators staged photographs and followed a payment structure in which U.S. citizen spouses were paid upfront, again upon approval of immigration benefits, and a final amount after divorce. Two defendants are additionally charged in connection with a sham marriage in Jacksonville in August 2024, and three individuals are accused of conspiring to bribe a public official. In related cases, four former U.S. Navy servicemembers have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, and USCIS, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As with all indictments, the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Please contact Las Vegas immigration attorney Darren Heyman for more information. 

MS-13 Gang Member Who Confessed to 5 Murders Arrested Just Weeks Before Spanberger Ended ICE Cooperation

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted in the arrest of Edwin Antonio Hernandez Hernandez, a self-admitted MS-13 gang member and confessed murderer, in Virginia after identifying his criminal history during the review of his asylum and work authorization applications. USCIS coordinated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which arrested Hernandez at a USCIS appointment in Alexandria roughly two and a half weeks before newly inaugurated Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger ended the state’s mandatory cooperation with ICE through an executive order. Hernandez, a Salvadoran national, entered the United States illegally in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor and was ordered removed in 2017. While in U.S. custody, he admitted to MS-13 membership and confessed to killing five people in El Salvador through violent acts including torture and dismemberment. Despite this record and a standing removal order, he later applied for asylum and received work authorization, remaining in the country after an immigration judge ruled he required protection from torture if returned to El Salvador. Department of Homeland Security officials criticized both this decision and Governor Spanberger’s executive order, arguing that limiting cooperation with ICE undermines public safety.

For more information contact Las Vegas Immigration Attorney Darren Heyman.