The Justice Department has filed denaturalization suits against 17 people accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud or concealment, with allegations that include sexual abuse of a minor, fraud and unlicensed drug distribution. Officials pointed to the Immigration and Nationality Act as the legal basis for revocation when naturalization is illegally procured or involves willful misrepresentation. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said those who lied about past crimes will face consequences. The move follows a Trump executive order to expand denaturalization efforts and comes after 12 new cases announced last month.
Justice Department Files Suits To Revoke Citizenship Of 17 Accused Of Immigration Fraud
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies oversight hearing on the Department of Justice in the Rayburn House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
The Justice Department announced Monday that it has filed denaturalization lawsuits in U.S. district courts across the country seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 people accused of immigration-related fraud and other serious offenses.
Federal prosecutors allege the 17 individuals obtained naturalization through fraud or by concealing material facts. The complaints accuse some of offenses including sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distribution of drugs without a license.
Legal Basis
Officials cited the Immigration and Nationality Act, which permits revocation of citizenship when naturalization "was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation." Denaturalization is a civil process pursued in federal court and can result in loss of U.S. citizenship if the government proves its case.
Administration Context
"When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. "Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters."
One of President Donald Trump's early actions after returning to the White House was an executive order directing the Justice Department to expand denaturalization efforts. Following that order, the department broadened the criteria used to prioritize denaturalization cases.
Last month the Justice Department announced 12 new denaturalization cases. The department opened 24 denaturalization cases under the Biden administration; the Trump administration has exceeded that total during the past year.
Note: Denaturalization lawsuits do not automatically remove citizenship — they initiate a federal court process in which the government must prove its allegations.
Help us improve.
