Federal immigration officials recently informed Fox News Digital about the arrest of Selah Dine Habib, a suspected illegal immigrant from Mauritania, West Africa. Arrested on May 21, Habib is accused of entering the United States with a fraudulent asylum claim. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he was later employed as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer in Portland, Indiana.
Habib’s pending asylum application reportedly claimed he was homosexual. DHS investigators, however, discovered inconsistencies when he married a woman after entering the country. This woman is the daughter of the Jay County Sheriff, whose office employed Habib as a correctional officer.
“Selah Dine Habib entered the U.S. illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona. Released by the Biden administration, he then secured a position as a corrections officer in Indiana,” DHS stated. “His fraudulent asylum claim is under scrutiny, as he applied based on his alleged homosexuality in 2023 but has since married a woman,” officials added.
Local outlet WIBC first covered this case, revealing Habib’s employment at Jay County Jail as an unarmed correctional officer. Sheriff Larry Ray Newton confirmed his employment, which included the provision of employment authorization documents. These documents successfully passed a federal E-Verify employment-authorization check.
Jay County Auditor’s Office confirmed the completion of an I-9 form and an E-Verify Check. They stated, “The report returned as employment authorized.” Departments are expected to conduct reference checks, background checks, and drug tests before finalizing employment.
The DHS emphasized a crackdown on illegal immigration with prioritization under former President Trump, highlighting that illegal aliens should not hold law enforcement roles.
Currently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds Habib at the Clay County Jail detention facility in Brazil, Indiana. Reports from WIBC indicate that he is contesting a final deportation order from the United States.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, known for covering significant national crises, reported on this incident. Her portfolio includes events like the L.A. wildfires and Texas Hill Country floods.