Feds Arrest Minnesota Corrections Officer Accused of Lying About U.S. Citizenship
Federal authorities under President Trump’s administration have arrested a Minnesota corrections officer accused of posing as a United States citizen while allegedly committing what officials described as serial immigration fraud.
Morris Brown, 45, a Liberian national, was taken into custody on January 15 after going AWOL from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Officials said Brown was identified during a major enforcement push targeting suspected immigration fraud in the Minneapolis St. Paul area last fall. Authorities allege he overstayed a student visa and repeatedly 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,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said. He added that Brown allegedly tried every tactic possible to remain in the country after losing legal status and would face consequences for violating immigration law.
According to USCIS, Brown entered the United States in 2014 on a student visa that was terminated in 2015 after he failed to enroll in a full course of study. Despite lacking legal status, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2014 and went AWOL the following year. He was later apprehended and discharged under other than honorable conditions in 2022.
Brown applied for a green card in 2020 under the Liberian Refugee Fairness program but was denied due to alleged misrepresentations, including failing to disclose prior military service and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. He later applied for citizenship in 2024 based on that same military service.
Federal investigators reviewing his application reportedly uncovered evidence of marriage fraud and additional instances in which he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on official documents. During the investigation, authorities also discovered that Brown had been employed as a corrections officer with the Minnesota Department of Corrections from May 2023 to October 2025.
The department said it followed federal document verification requirements when hiring Brown and has provided employment records to federal officials. USCIS notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement of its findings, resulting in Brown being placed into removal proceedings and facing potential prosecution. Officials noted that other recent cases have also uncovered illegal immigrants working in law enforcement roles, underscoring the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration fraud.