United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported the deportation of Prince Solomon Knox, a 62-year-old national of Sierra Leone, following his convictions for visa fraud and domestic assault.
According to news posted on the ICE official website on 5th March 2025, Knox was removed from the United States on March 1 after being arrested by ICE officers in St. Louis on February 4.
Knox originally entered the U.S. through Chicago O’Hare International Airport on April 14, 2004. In 2006, ICE launched an investigation into allegations of fraud related to ineligible combatants and imposter refugees seeking resettlement.
Witnesses provided testimony linking Knox to multiple armed groups in West Africa, including the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)—a militia known for recruiting child soldiers and committing brutal human rights violations, including mass amputations.
The investigation led to a federal grand jury indictment on charges of visa fraud and making false statements. ICE agents arrested Knox on December 21, 2006. He was convicted on June 20, 2007, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and sentenced to 12 months in prison. An immigration judge ordered his removal on June 6, 2008, though he remained in the U.S. under supervision pending deportation.
Sam Olson, Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago, emphasized the agency’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.
“Foreign nationals, from any country, cannot be allowed to abuse the visa system and migrate to the U.S. fraudulently,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson. “This is an example of someone not only attempting to escape responsibility in their home country, but also depriving those in the global community of the opportunity to seek desperately needed relief,” Olson said.
ICE said it remains committed to identifying and removing individuals who attempt to exploit U.S. immigration laws by concealing their involvement in criminal or human rights violations.
