Overview

• Teams reviewed roughly 1,000 targeted cases with more than 900 site visits across Minneapolis–St. Paul from Sept. 19–28.
• Investigators flagged 275 cases for fraud, noncompliance or public‑safety concerns, with about 42 referrals or notices to appear and reports of two to four arrests.
• Reported schemes included sham marriages, forged and fake documents, visa overstays, and alleged misuse of H‑1B and F‑1 programs, with a cited anomaly in Uniting for Ukraine sponsorships.
• The operation was coordinated with ICE and the FBI under Executive Order 14161 following a new rule that broadened USCIS’s enforcement role.
• USCIS said similar surges are planned in other cities, while some media tallies differed from the agency’s 275‑of‑1,000 figure and case investigations continue.