DOJ Moves to Denaturalize 12 Individuals for Major Crimes
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking steps to denaturalize a dozen people for serious offenses, including providing material support for terrorism, war crimes, and sexual abuse of minors, as reported.
On Friday, the DOJ is expected to announce that it will initiate denaturalization lawsuits against individuals from various countries like Iraq, Colombia, Morocco, Somalia, Gambia, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, India, China, and Nigeria. This follows a recent trend of efforts to revoke citizenship from those with troubling backgrounds.
Among those targeted is Ali Yusif Ahmed from Iraq. He arrived in the United States in 2009, claiming that al-Qaeda had attacked his family. However, a decade later, Iraq requested his extradition to face charges related to the 2006 murders of two police officers. The investigation revealed that Ahmed had gone through an illegal naturalization process in 2015, as he had reportedly lied about his criminal history when he applied for citizenship.
Another individual facing denaturalization is Khalid Wazani, a Moroccan-born man who applied for U.S. citizenship in 2005 and again the following year. Wazani allegedly plotted with two others, who later attempted to bomb the New York Stock Exchange in 2003. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he pleaded guilty to transferring illegal funds to al-Qaeda and publicly declaring his allegiance to the group in 2008.
The DOJ is also looking into Gambian Baboucar Mboub, who reportedly concealed his involvement in war crimes while being naturalized. Mboub, previously a military police officer in Gambia, was involved in the execution of officers suspected of being part of an anti-coup plot against the then-President Yahya Jammeh.
In recent months, the DOJ has intensified its denaturalization efforts, with indications that more cases will be assigned to regional offices soon. A spokesperson for the DOJ emphasized their commitment to identifying and removing individuals who have fraudulently acquired citizenship.
