United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested a Mauritanian national, Habib Selah, after an investigation showed he is married to a woman despite claiming to be gay in his asylum application to gain permanent stay in the North American country.
According to reports, Mr Selah was arrested by immigration officials on May 21 on suspicion of committing fraud for allegedly entering the United States under false pretences before later becoming employed as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer in Portland, Indiana.
The Department of Homeland Security further revealed that the suspect arrived in the U.S. under Joe Biden’s administration’s refugee programme in 2023 and immediately filed for asylum on the grounds of his sexuality.
Investigators, however, discovered that Mr Selah married a woman after entering the country while his asylum application as a gay man was pending, prompting authorities to arrest him.
Indiana-based outlet WIBC reported that the woman he married is the daughter of the Jay County sheriff, whose office later employed Mr Selah as a correctional officer at the county jail.
Indiana-based outlet WIBC reported that the woman he married is the daughter of the county sheriff, whose office later employed Mr Selah as a correctional officer at the county jail.
“He entered the country illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released into the country by the Biden administration, where he was reportedly hired as a corrections officer in Indiana,” DHS stated.
“He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. His pending asylum application is believed to be fraudulent, as he applied based on homosexuality in 2023 but married a woman in 2025,” officials said.
Additionally, Jay County sheriff Larry Ray Newton confirmed Mr Saleh’s employment status, stating, “I am able to confirm that Mr Habib submitted an I-9 with documentation, and an E-Verify Check was completed at the time of employment. The report came back as employment authorised.”
