A former senior US immigration official has been arrested after federal prosecutors accused him of accepting payments in exchange for manipulating and expediting immigration applications, including applications for permanent residency and citizenship.
Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a former senior immigration services officer with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested Sept. 2 alongside alleged co-conspirator Adeniyi Akeem Somoye.
Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas charged both men with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official.
The alleged scheme stretched from December 2019 through March 2026.
Investigators claim Ganiyu used his federal position to approve or accelerate applications involving permanent residency, family sponsorship, removal of residency conditions and US citizenship in exchange for money.
According to prosecutors, Ganiyu allegedly bypassed required interviews, background checks, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional restrictions and other USCIS safeguards.
Authorities further allege that some applicants who benefited from the arrangement were not legally eligible for the immigration benefits they received.
“Selling immigration benefits for cash is a blatant abuse of public trust,” US Attorney Ryan Raybould said following the arrests.
“When a federal official puts a price tag on lawful status, we will intervene immediately,” he added.
The Justice Department said investigators uncovered extensive WhatsApp communications involving Ganiyu, Somoye and immigration applicants whose cases were allegedly handled through the operation.
Investigators also identified approximately $287,830 in unexplained cash deposits into Ganiyu’s accounts, according to an affidavit cited in the source.
Authorities additionally found roughly $671,438 in payments through Zelle, Cash App and other financial platforms, with prosecutors alleging that at least some of those transactions were connected to immigration cases handled by Ganiyu.
The filing states that Ganiyu received approximately $407,838 in federal salary between 2020 and 2025 and reported no other employment during his time at USCIS.
The investigation began after the USCIS Office of Investigations received an allegation in May 2025 that Ganiyu was selecting and processing certain immigration cases outside normal agency procedures.
A review of his government email account allegedly uncovered personal financial records, including bank statements reflecting payments from Somoye.
Ganiyu joined USCIS in November 2018 and worked in Kansas, Texas and North Carolina before becoming a senior immigration services officer in Dallas in April 2024.
Investigators allege that in December 2022 he assigned himself to Somoye’s naturalization application and approved it the same day.
Authorities say Ganiyu subsequently received approximately $138,392 from Somoye through bank transfers between May 2023 and January 2026, as well as another $21,900 from a company managed by Somoye.
Ganiyu resigned from USCIS on March 21, citing “personal reasons,” according to the court filing.
USCIS condemned the alleged misconduct following the arrests, saying there is “no place in this agency for corruption, abuse of authority, or violations of public trust.”
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said the accusations concern a process with national-security implications, adding that alleged manipulation of immigration decisions for personal gain undermines the system’s integrity.
Ganiyu’s attorney, Alfonso Cabanas, said his client denies criminal wrongdoing and disputes the government’s characterization of the financial transactions and immigration applications cited by investigators, per Trending Politics.
Federal prosecutors sought to keep Ganiyu in custody pending trial, arguing his dual US-Nigerian citizenship, foreign financial accounts, international travel and property ownership in Nigeria presented a flight risk.
A federal magistrate judge instead ordered his release under conditions including GPS monitoring, travel restrictions and surrender of his US and Nigerian passports.
Ganiyu and Somoye each face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
The investigation was conducted by the USCIS Office of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office. The charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
