Joseph B. Edlow, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) | Official Website
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the arrest of Morris Brown, a Minnesota corrections officer and former member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, for multiple violations of U.S. immigration law. The arrest is part of Operation Twin Shield, an enforcement initiative focused on suspected immigration fraud in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Brown, a 45-year-old Liberian national, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 15 in Minneapolis. Authorities allege that Brown overstayed his student visa after entering the United States in 2014 and subsequently made false claims to U.S. citizenship.
“Operation Twin Shield continues to deliver results as the Department of Homeland Security relentlessly pursues those who seek to cheat our immigration system,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “This alien tried every trick in the book to remain in the United States after losing legal status. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure he faces justice for his many violations of the law.”
According to officials, Brown’s student visa was terminated in 2015 when he failed to enroll in a full course of study. Despite lacking legal status, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard that same year but went absent without leave (AWOL) and was discharged under other than honorable conditions in 2022.
In 2020, Brown applied for permanent residency through the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program but was denied due to misrepresentations on his application, including not disclosing prior military service and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. He later sought naturalization based on this military service in 2024.
During their investigation into Brown’s naturalization application, USCIS found evidence suggesting marriage fraud and previous instances where he claimed U.S. citizenship on official documents. Investigators also discovered that Brown had been working as a corrections officer for Minnesota by asserting he was a citizen despite lacking legal status.
USCIS referred Brown’s case to ICE following these findings; he now faces removal proceedings and potential criminal prosecution for immigration fraud and related offenses.
The agency encourages individuals with information about suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to submit tips via its online form.
