Federal immigration agents said they arrested an illegal migrant from Mauritania who was working as a correctional officer at an Indiana jail.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said agents took Selah Dine Habib, 28, into custody May 21 for unlawfully entering the country in 2023 during the Biden administration.
“To be clear: Work authorization does NOT give someone legal status to be in our country,” ICE said in a statement. “He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive full due process under federal law.”
Mr. Habib was hired to work at the Jay County Jail, which included passing a federal E-Verify assessment that screens for legal immigration status, according to WIBC Radio in Indianapolis.
Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton told the station that Mr. Habib worked as a non-armed correctional officer at the jail. He said the Mauritanian national shared his Social Security card and driver’s license with authorities while being hired.
The county auditor said none of Mr. Habib’s personal documents had been flagged and the federal immigration screening system did not take issue with his background.
“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 Jay County auditor’s office told WIBC, referring to the employment eligibility verification form. “The report came back as employment authorized.”
Another twist: Mr. Habib is married to the sheriff’s daughter, although Sheriff Newton said he began working with the county before the two married.
Department of Homeland Security officials said Mr. Habib claimed to be gay when seeking asylum three years ago in Lukeville, Arizona, according to Fox News.
Federal law allows migrants to make LGBTQ-specific asylum claims if they fear persecution in their native country.
But the DHS said that claim is fraudulent after Mr. Habib reportedly married in 2025.
