A Liberian man residing in Minnesota, known for attempting numerous tactics to stay in the U.S., was found to have worked as a corrections officer and had previously been absent without leave from the Pennsylvania National Guard at the time of his arrest in January, authorities reported on Wednesday.
Morris Brown, aged 45, was taken into custody on January 15 for several immigration offenses, including overstaying his student visa and falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
His arrest was a result of Operation Twin Shield, an initiative by the Trump administration aimed at identifying individuals suspected of committing immigration fraud.
A law enforcement officer is seen walking past the ICE logo during a press conference on May 11, 2017, at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“Operation Twin Shield continues to yield results as the Department of Homeland Security vigorously targets those attempting to circumvent our immigration laws,” stated Joseph Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
He further commented, “This individual attempted every possible method to remain in the United States after losing his legal status. We are committed to utilizing all available resources to ensure he is held accountable for his numerous legal violations.”
While masquerading as a U.S. citizen, Brown worked for the Minnesota Department of Corrections as a prison guard at the time of his arrest, DHS said.
Morris Brown, 45, was arrested Jan. 15 for multiple immigration violations, including overstaying his student visa and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security said. (Getty Images)
Investigators began looking at Brown’s citizenship application and found evidence of marriage fraud and prior instances where he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen in official documents, DHS said.
They also found that he was working for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, despite not being an American citizen.
Brown entered the U.S. in 2014 on a non-immigrant student visa that was terminated in 2015 because he failed to enroll in a full course of study. Despite having no legal status, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard.
He went AWOL the next year and was caught and given an other than honorable discharge in 2022.
In 2020, he applied for a Green Card under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program. On his application, Brown failed to disclose his prior military service and his false claim to U.S. citizenship. In 2024, in another commission of fraud, he applied to naturalize as a U.S. citizen based on prior military service, authorities said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
