Fake Gay? Mauritanian Arrested After Getting Asylum Under False Pretenses

Federal authorities are seeking to deport an illegal alien from Mauritania who allegedly secured asylum in the United States under false pretenses, claiming he was gay before later marrying an American woman.

The U.S. offers asylum to applicants who can demonstrate a reasonable fear of persecution in their home countries, and the northwest African country of Mauritania applies a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law that includes the death penalty for sexual activity between men.

Selah Dine Habib entered the U.S. illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.

“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.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding Habib at the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana, WIBC reported.

Habib reportedly married the daughter of Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton last year, apparently contradicting his alleged claim of a gay identity. He also joined the Jay County Jail in Portland, Indiana, as a correctional officer.

Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton confirmed Habib’s employment at the jail to WIBC. Newton said Habib cleared the hiring process, passing the federal E-Verify employment authorization check. The sheriff added that Habib began his employment before marrying the sheriff’s daughter.

The Jay County Auditor’s Office vetted Habib’s legal paperwork. The office told WIBC that Habib submitted an I-9 form and completed the E-Verify check, which found him authorized for employment.

Sources close to the case told WIBC that Habib is fighting active final deportation orders that seek to remove him from the U.S.

Neither ICE nor DHS immediately responded to a request for comment about Habib’s status and how he passed the E-Verify check.