The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is pursuing a broader crackdown on asylum fraud, according to Department of Homeland Security officials, pointing to a series of recent prosecutions in Florida and Illinois as evidence of the effort.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the push follows what he described as years of lax border enforcement under the Biden administration. “Four long long years of wide-open borders under the Biden administration was a disaster for our nation,” Mullin said. “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.”
Earlier this year, DHS directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate asylum fraud cases, including immigration attorneys accused of filing fraudulent claims on behalf of clients in court.
Florida and Illinois Cases
In August 2026, 31-year-old Yuniel Lima-Santos of Tampa pleaded guilty to alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering. Prosecutors said Lima-Santos conspired with others to run a smuggling operation that encouraged thousands of Cuban nationals to enter the United States using fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications and visa waivers. The group advertised its services on social media and helped transport migrants from Cuba and elsewhere into the U.S., including arranging flights, according to officials.
In suburban Chicago, businessman Jose Gregorio Sosa Cardona was sentenced in May 2026 to nine years in prison on charges including immigration fraud, possession of child pornography, and tax fraud. Sosa Cardona ran Delta Global Solutions, Inc., a firm that assisted clients with asylum applications, immigrant visas, and green cards. Prosecutors said that between 2020 and 2024, Sosa Cardona and two employees knowingly submitted false information to USCIS on behalf of clients, including fabricated foreign law enforcement reports and political party membership letters meant to support asylum claims.
Other Recent Cases
Last month, five Cuban nationals and one American citizen were sentenced in Florida in connection with an international smuggling ring that prosecutors said involved fraudulent asylum claims and the laundering of millions of dollars through false visa applications.
In September, Biqi Huang, 25, and Wentian Du, 35, were indicted on charges of misrepresenting a marriage to USCIS adjudicators. That same month, Afghan national Nazira Haji Zada, 47, was deported after admitting she had supported a plan by her son and son-in-law to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day in 2024.
DHS officials also said increased vetting has led to the arrest of individuals with violent criminal histories, including 27-year-old Edwin Antonio Hernandez, an alleged MS-13 member accused of murdering five people in El Salvador, including by shooting, torturing, stabbing, and dismembering victims.
“If our asylum system is not secure, our nation is not secure,” Mullin said.
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