Federal officials disclosed on Sunday that immigration agents have arrested a suspected illegal immigrant in Portland, Indiana. The individual, Selah Dine Habib, allegedly entered the United States under a fraudulent asylum claim and later worked as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer. This information was provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Fox News Digital.
Habib, originally from Mauritania in northwest Africa, was arrested on May 21. He had been released into the United States around 2023 by the Biden administration. DHS claims Habib applied for asylum claiming to be homosexual, but investigators later found that he married a woman after his arrival.
Local news source WIBC first reported on the case, highlighting that the woman Habib married was the daughter of the county sheriff. The sheriff’s office employed Habib as a correctional officer at the county jail.
Employment at Jay County Jail
According to DHS, Habib entered the United States illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona. After being released into the country, he was reportedly hired as a corrections officer in Indiana. ICE intends to keep him in custody during removal proceedings.
DHS officials suggested his asylum application, claiming homosexuality, to be fraudulent, pointing to his marriage to a woman in 2025. WIBC reported that Habib joined the Jay County Jail after marrying the sheriff’s daughter, making him the sheriff’s step-son-in-law.
Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton confirmed Habib’s employment. Habib served as an unarmed correctional officer after presenting employment authorization documents that cleared the hiring process. According to WIBC, Habib passed the federal E-Verify employment-authorization check.
“I can confirm that Mr. Habib submitted an I-9 with documentation and an E-Verify Check was completed during employment,” said the Jay County Auditor’s Office. “The report indicated he was employment authorized.”
The Auditor’s Office stated that any discrepancies from the E-Verify system would have instantly halted the onboarding process.
Current Legal Status
Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE aims to enforce law and order, with DHS emphasizing that illegal aliens should not hold positions, especially in law enforcement. Habib is currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Clay County Jail facility in Brazil, Indiana.
Sources indicate Habib is contesting a final deportation order from the United States. WIBC continues to follow developments in this case.
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