A Liberian man working as a Minnesota corrections officer was arrested in January for multiple immigration violations. Morris Brown, 45, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis on January 15 as part of Operation Twin Shield, a federal initiative targeting suspected immigration fraud.
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Federal officials allege Brown overstayed his student visa, falsely claimed U.S. citizenship, and engaged in marriage fraud. Investigators also found he misrepresented prior military service while applying for permanent residency and naturalization. Brown had previously enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard’ in 2014 but went absent without leave the following year and was later discharged under other than honorable conditions.
Despite lacking legal status, Brown began working for the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC) in May 2023, claiming to be a U.S. citizen. The department confirmed his employment and stated that it conducts thorough background and eligibility checks, verifying identity and work authorization in compliance with federal requirements. Brown’s employment ended in October 2025.
Brown entered the U.S. in 2014 on a non-immigrant student visa, which was terminated in 2015. He applied for a Green Card in 2020 under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program but was denied for misrepresenting his military service, and in 2024, he applied for U.S. citizenship, which authorities say involved additional misrepresentation.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow remarked that Operation Twin Shield “continues to deliver results as the Department of Homeland Security relentlessly pursues those who seek to cheat our immigration system,” highlighting the agency’s ongoing efforts against immigration fraud.
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Brown is currently held in a federal detention facility in El Paso, Texas, where he is scheduled for a hearing before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. He faces removal proceedings and potential criminal prosecution for immigration fraud and related offenses.
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