Justice Department Aims to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Doctor

On Thursday, the Justice Department took steps to revoke the U.S. citizenship of a disgraced doctor from Long Island, originally from Pakistan, who was found guilty of sexually exploiting an 11-year-old girl. The case against Hassan Shergil Khan has been ongoing, part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration targeting individuals who have obtained citizenship criminally.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, explained that Khan has been incarcerated since 2016, as part of over 300 cases pursued in this effort. “Naturalization or U.S. citizenship does not protect sex offenders from the consequences of their horrific acts,” noted Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.

Khan applied for U.S. citizenship in August 2012, shortly after traveling from New York to London where he engaged in sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl. Court documents revealed that, prior to this trip, he had repeatedly coerced the minor into sending explicit images and engaging in sexual acts during video chats.

Arrested in September 2015, Khan had already taken an oath of allegiance to the U.S. and had become a citizen. In 2016, he pled guilty to coercing a minor into illegal sexual activity, leading to a 17-year prison sentence.

During the trial, the victim shared how the abuse left her struggling with depression, causing serious long-term effects on her life, including self-harm and significant setbacks in school.

The deportation complaint against Khan claims he falsely reported and concealed his criminal actions during the naturalization process. Prosecutors emphasize that he lacks the “good moral character” needed for naturalization due to his crimes involving exploitation.

A memo from the Justice Department last June highlighted the intention to prioritize the denaturalization of individuals convicted of serious offenses, such as sex crimes. The Trump administration has supposedly filed about 384 denaturalization cases, a notable rise compared to previous years. Reports indicated only 305 cases were initiated between 1990 and 2018.

Matthew Tragesser, a Justice Department spokesperson, stated the department aims to eliminate fraudulent cases in naturalization. Under current leadership, there is an unprecedented pace in handling these cases, with expectations for many more referrals in the future.