Mauritanian man arrested after working as Indiana jail officer; asylum application under investigation.
May 21, 2026·Location: Portland, IN
Country of origin: Mauritania

Selah Dine Habib, a Mauritanian national, entered the United States near the Arizona border in March 2023 and applied for asylum claiming persecution based on sexual orientation. While his asylum case was pending, he secured employment as an unarmed corrections officer at Jay County Jail in Indiana after marrying a woman and presenting employment authorization documents that passed I-9 verification and E-Verify checks. In May 2026, ICE arrested Habib after DHS investigators determined his asylum application was fraudulent, citing the contradiction between his claimed homosexual identity and his subsequent marriage to a woman. He is currently detained at Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana, and faces removal proceedings.
Timeline
Sources
- Fox News
- commstrader.com
Jun 1, 2026·archived copy
- Indiana Jail Officer Arrested by ICE for Allegedly Fabricating Asylum Claim: A Shocking Tale of Deception
internewscast.com·Jun 1, 2026·archived copy
- washingtontimes.com
- umva.net
- Asylum Fraud Allegations Lead to Indiana ICE Arrest
dcbrief.com·Jun 1, 2026·archived copy
- Jay County Correctional Officer Is In Federal Immigration Custody
mercercountyoutlook.net·May 30, 2026·archived copy
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