DHS is Taking Down Asylum Fraudsters

Asylum fraud can be prosecuted as a felony

WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement highlighting recent examples of how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is playing a key role in the war on asylum fraud. Over the past year, USCIS has provided pivotal assistance to several federal prosecutions focused on ferreting out those who lie to get the protection of the United States.

"Four long years of wide-open borders under the Biden Administration was a disaster for our nation. A massive part of this illegal migration involved defrauding our asylum system," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. "The men and women of USCIS are working every day to go after and take down asylum fraudsters, ensuring that these criminals face justice for trying to game the system. If our asylum system is not secure, our nation is not secure."

In May, DHS released a directive instructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take additional steps to crack down on fraudulent asylum claims. This includes developing anti-fraud policies that will further enforce 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d), a law that establishes penalties for violations of document fraud. As a result of this directive, ICE attorneys have greater authority to enforce this law, including enforcement actions against immigration attorneys who file false asylum claims in an immigration court.

Recent cases of asylum fraud include:

On October 29, 2026, five Cuban aliens and one U.S. citizen were sentenced in Florida for their roles in an international conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of aliens illegally into the United States. The U.S. Attorney General made the initial announcement last year of charges against 12 individuals in a superseding indictment for their roles in the conspiracy. According to court documents, the defendants operated a prolific alien smuggling operation that facilitated the unlawful entry of Cuban nationals into the United States by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and exploiting the immigration process. What began as a small operation grew into a commercial enterprise. As part of the enterprise, the defendants operated a sham immigration business, Asesoria Y Servicios Migratorios LLC, which promised asylum filings, work permits, and lawful permanent residency applications.

Passports and boarding passes obtained as part of the scheme

The company churned out boilerplate asylum claims without clients' knowledge or consent and even blocked them from accessing their own USCIS online accounts. Several other individuals have been convicted and sentenced because of this successful investigation.

Biqi "Ashley" Huang, 25, and Wentian Du, 35, were indicted in September 2026. Huang faces one count of making a false statement in a naturalization proceeding and one count of fraudulent acquisition of a firearm. Du faces one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Huang entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2023 and received lawful permanent resident status after misrepresenting the status of her marriage during a 2025 Green Card interview. Du entered the U.S. in 2022 on a B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa and applied for asylum about a year later. In June, Huang moved to New York and met Du. She then applied to join the U.S. Air Force, telling a recruiter that she wanted to enlist to obtain citizenship as soon as possible, divorce her current spouse, and marry Du.

Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States in September 2026 after conceding that she is an alien terrorist, in the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC). Zada supported a plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 for which her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted. Zada is now permanently inadmissible to the U.S.

Nazira Haji Zada

Yuniel Lima-Santos, 31, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty in August 2026 to alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering. Lima-Santos conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization that encouraged thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the United States using fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications and visa waivers. The defendants advertised their smuggling services and bogus visa services across multiple social media platforms to solicit Cuban nationals and other aliens to attempt to illegally enter the U.S. and fraudulently obtain lawful status. Lima-Santos furthered the conspiracy by helping move aliens from their countries of origin, including Cuba, into the U.S. This included purchasing international and domestic flights to transport aliens into and throughout the United States.

Jose Gregorio Sosa Cardona, a suburban Chicago businessman, was sentenced in May 2026 to nine years in prison for immigration fraud, possessing child pornography, and committing tax fraud. Sosa Cardona operated Delta Global Solutions, Inc., which assisted individuals applying for asylum, immigrant visas, lawful permanent residence cards, and other immigration benefits. From 2020 to 2024, Sosa Cardona conspired with two employees of his firm and others to knowingly provide false and fraudulent information to USCIS for his foreign national clients who were seeking benefits. Sosa Cardona was accused of fabricating foreign law enforcement reports and foreign political party membership letters to falsely corroborate his clients' asylum claims.

USCIS screening and vetting also helps identify individuals who may pose public-safety or national-security concerns.

For example, Edwin Antonio Hernandez, 27, of El Salvador, was arrested in January 2026 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a USCIS appointment. Through the screening and vetting of his asylum and employment authorization applications, USCIS identified information concerning his criminal history and immigration status.

Edwin Antonio Hernandez

Hernandez had previously entered the United States unlawfully and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2017. While in custody, Hernandez admitted to being an MS-13 member and confessed to murdering five people in El Salvador through shooting, torturing, stabbing, and dismemberment.

USCIS remains committed to detecting and deterring immigration benefit fraud, safeguarding the integrity of the asylum system, and supporting law enforcement partners in holding accountable those who exploit vulnerable individuals and immigration processes for criminal gain.

To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

In addition to 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d), asylum fraud can also be prosecuted as a felony under both 18 U.S.C. § 1546 and 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

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