Feds Arrest Illegal Alien Allegedly Working In Prison After Ditching National Guard
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Federal immigration authorities have arrested a Liberian national in Minnesota who allegedly worked as a state correctional officer while falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and abandoning his National Guard service.
Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Morris Brown, 45, into custody Jan. 15 in Minneapolis during “Operation Twin Shield,” an immigration-fraud enforcement initiative led by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Authorities say Brown overstayed a student visa, repeatedly claimed U.S. citizenship on official documents, and attempted for years to regain lawful status after losing it.
“Operation Twin Shield continues to deliver results as the Department of Homeland Security relentlessly pursues those who seek to cheat our immigration system,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in a statement. “This individual 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 DHS, Brown entered the United States in 2014 on a non-immigrant student visa. Officials terminated the visa in 2015 after he failed to enroll in a full course of study, leaving him without lawful status. Despite that, Brown enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2014 and went absent without leave the following year. He was later apprehended and discharged in 2022 under other-than-honorable conditions.
In 2020, Brown applied for permanent residency under a special immigration program for Liberian nationals. USCIS denied the request after determining he had misrepresented key information, including prior military service and false claims of U.S. citizenship.
Officials say Brown applied again in 2024 to naturalize as a U.S. citizen based on his past military service. During Operation Twin Shield, investigators reviewing the application uncovered additional alleged marriage fraud and repeated false citizenship claims in official records.
Investigators also concluded that Brown obtained employment as a correctional officer for the state of Minnesota by asserting he was a U.S. citizen despite lacking legal immigration status. USCIS referred the case to ICE, which initiated enforcement action. Brown now faces removal proceedings and potential criminal charges related to immigration fraud and false citizenship claims.
Federal immigration authorities intensified fraud enforcement in Minnesota last year, placing hundreds of foreign nationals under scrutiny as part of a broader push under the administration of Donald Trump. Operation Twin Shield expanded investigative activity across the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area, targeting suspected immigration fraud and eligibility violations.
USCIS officers reported identifying 275 suspected fraud cases after conducting more than 900 in-person interviews and site visits tied to flagged applications. The agency issued 42 notices to appear, referred dozens of cases to ICE, and arrested two additional foreign nationals after identifying safety concerns or other violations in about 44 percent of reviewed cases.
USCIS also warned that U.S. citizens who sponsor immigrants could face financial liability if those immigrants rely on public assistance. Officials said screening of green-card applicants who have used taxpayer-funded benefits will be tightened, and naturalization reviews will consider not only compliance with the law but also applicants’ contributions to American society.
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