The Minneapolis-St. Paul area was the focus of what officials termed a “first of its kind” operation to be expanded nationwide targeting people fraudulently seeking immigration benefits.

Operation Twin Shield kicked off Sept. 19 and wrapped up Monday, leading to multiple arrests, officials said at a joint press conference by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Citizen and Immigrations Services Director Joseph B. Edlow.

“I want the American people to know we are declaring war on immigration fraud,” he said. “We will continue to pursue those who seek to abuse our immigration system using every tool at our disposal.”

Operation Twin Shield is the first phase, he said.

“If y

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