The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sub-agency Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Kansas City issued a press release on Friday, August 28, stating that “counterfeit immigration documents are not harmless pieces of paper, but rather tools used to undermine the integrity of our immigration system, conceal identities, and enable individuals to illegally remain in the United States.”
The agency vowed to “actively investigate immigration document fraud, work tirelessly with our federal partners, and hold violators accountable under the law.”
Three months ago, on May 28, HSI conducted a raid on a residence in Kansas City, Kansas, where they arrested two undocumented immigrants carrying counterfeit green cards and discovered counterfeit Permanent Resident Cards (green cards) and counterfeit Social Security Cards at the residence.
The Department of Justice confirmed that 38-year-old Guatemalan Santos Ramirez-Ramirez and 32-year-old Mexican Yolanda Mendoza-Emiliano admitted to committing fraud and misuse of immigration documents.
Prosecutors stated that the names and photos on these counterfeit green cards belonged to the defendants, but the associated foreign national registration numbers (A-numbers) were assigned to other individuals, making the Social Security card numbers invalid.
Prosecutors also mentioned that a third defendant is facing charges for allegedly possessing counterfeit immigration documents, with the case still pending. Several others were also arrested during HSI raids and later indicted for other immigration offenses, including illegal re-entry after deportation.
The Department of Justice revealed that Mendoza-Emiliano was arrested four times in April 2024 in Arizona for illegal entry into the United States, each time voluntarily returning to Mexico.
The sentencing dates for Ramirez-Ramirez and Mendoza-Emiliano have not been disclosed.
This investigation was led by HSI, ICE’s primary investigative division responsible for handling cases involving immigration and document fraud, transnational criminal organizations, and other federal crimes.
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser stated in a press release, “Counterfeit federal documents often contain information belonging to real individuals, causing havoc in victims’ lives. The victims may face demands for unpaid taxes, debts, and other obligations falsely attributed to them, while criminals use their information to secure employment, rent housing, and open lines of credit, leaving the victims to foot the bill.”
(References from reporting in “Newsweek”)