An African immigrant accused of pretending to be gay to claim asylum in the United States has allegedly been exposed after he married a woman in Indiana. Salah Dine Habib, a native of Mauritania in West Africa, entered the US around 2023 and was arrested on May 21, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Asylum claim based on homosexuality
Habib claimed to be homosexual on his asylum application. In Mauritania, homosexuality is a criminal offense punishable by death by stoning. He subsequently obtained a job as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer at a county jail in Portland, Indiana, after being hired by Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton Jr, as reported by WIBC.
Wedding exposes alleged fraud
However, Habib was allegedly exposed as a fraud after he married Newton's stepdaughter, Chelsea, in September 2025. Photos and videos shared on social media from the ceremony show the sheriff posing with his family and delivering a speech to wedding guests.
The DHS told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'Habib entered the country illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released into the country by the Biden administration where he was reportedly hired as a corrections officer in Indiana. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. His pending asylum application is believed to be fraudulent, as he applied based on homosexuality in 2023 but married a woman in 2025. Habib is being held at the Clay County Jail detention facility in Brazil, Indiana. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is restoring law and order. Illegal aliens have no place in our communities, especially in positions of law enforcement.'
Sheriff defends hiring process
Habib is being held at the Clay County Jail detention facility in Brazil, Indiana, where he is fighting deportation. Sheriff Newton confirmed to WIBC that Habib served as an unarmed correctional officer at the county jail. He also said Habib was his stepson-in-law but that he began his tenure with the sheriff's department before marrying into the family. Newton claimed local officials were unaware of Habib's immigration status, adding that his driver's license and Social Security card had cleared their recruitment process.
Dispute over vetting responsibility
Newton claimed the Jay County Auditor's Office is responsible for processing and vetting legal paperwork for staff, but the auditor's office disputed this. 'Departments are responsible for completing any reference checks, background checks, drug tests, etc., before submitting new employees to the office,' the Jay County Auditor's office told WIBC. 'The sheriff would be able to speak to the standard practices completed in his office.' The auditor's office said that Habib cleared the federal background screening process with his I-9 immigration document. The Daily Mail has contacted the sheriff's office and Chelsea Habib for comment.
