U.S. Moves to Denaturalize 17 Citizens for Alleged Fraud, Including Child Sex Offenders and Scammers, in Largest Such Effort
The Justice Department filed complaints against 17 people accused of concealing crimes or immigration violations when they applied for citizenship. The cases mark the largest single effort to use denaturalization powers since President Trump returned to office.
yahoo.comU.S. citizens accused of concealing criminal activity or immigration violations when they applied for citizenship. S.
Government to use its denaturalization powers, officials said. Between 1990 and 2017, the Justice Department filed an average of 11 such complaints per year. The 17 individuals include a Haitian immigrant accused of sexually abusing his daughter, a man from the former Yugoslavia convicted of sexually abusing a child under 15, an immigrant from Mexico convicted of receiving sexually explicit images of minors, a former Catholic priest born in Colombia accused of child sex abuse, and a Filipino-born man who pleaded guilty to a child sex crime.
The group also includes an Indian immigrant accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions, the daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker accused of money laundering, a man born in Jamaica convicted of wire fraud, and a Cuban-born woman accused of defrauding a tribal casino.
Other individuals were accused of using false identities. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department would have "zero tolerance" for abuse of the naturalization process.
"Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters," Blanche said. " "American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege," Mullin said.
In 2025, the Justice Department broadened the categories of naturalized citizens prioritized for denaturalization. Last month, officials announced a dozen denaturalization cases, which at the time was the largest such effort in years. Federal law permits the government to seek denaturalization when officials believe foreign-born citizens committed fraud to obtain citizenship, such as by concealing criminal conduct on immigration applications.
The process requires officials to persuade judges to strip citizenship in civil or criminal proceedings. If denaturalized, the individuals would return to their prior immigration status, typically as permanent residents, and lose the legal benefits of citizenship, including protection from deportation. The targeted citizens may challenge the government's filings in court.
CBS News exclusively reported the plans before the Justice Department unveiled them on Monday.
