Former Minnesota Corrections Officer Arrested for Immigration Fraud
A man who worked as a corrections officer in Minnesota has been arrested for allegedly overstaying his student visa and making false claims to U.S. citizenship. Morris Brown, a 45-year-old native of Liberia, was taken into custody on January 15 in Minneapolis. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Brown’s student visa was terminated in 2015 due to his failure to enroll in a full course of study.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow described Brown as a “serial fraudster” who “tried every trick in the book to remain in the United States after losing legal status.” Brown’s case was referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and he faces removal proceedings and potential criminal prosecution for immigration fraud. Brown is currently being held in a U.S. Enforcement and Removal Operations detention facility in El Paso, Texas.
Background and Employment History
Brown joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in 2014 but went absent without official leave in 2015. He was discharged from the military under “other than honorable conditions” in 2022. Despite his immigration status, Brown was employed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections as a corrections officer from May 2023 to October 2025, earning a base salary of $64,561. The department verified his identity and employment eligibility in compliance with federal law.
USCIS investigators discovered that Brown had applied for a green card in 2020 under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program, but his application was denied due to misrepresentations, including his failure to disclose prior military service and his false claim to U.S. citizenship. In 2024, Brown applied to naturalize as a U.S. citizen based on prior military service, which was also deemed fraudulent.
Investigation and Arrest
USCIS investigators looked into Brown’s application for citizenship as part of Operation Twin Shield, a major enforcement operation targeting suspected immigration fraud in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The investigation uncovered evidence of marriage fraud and prior instances where Brown falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen in official documents. Brown was married in St. Paul in September 2023, but court documents reveal that he and his wife never lived together.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections stated that they followed federal document verification requirements when hiring Brown and provided Form I-9 records to USCIS upon request. Brown had no complaints or discipline during his employment at the department, but the reason for his departure is considered private data under state law.
For more information on this case, visit Here
Image Source: www.twincities.com
