The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced its intention to denaturalize 17 individuals suspected of serious crimes, including sexual abuse of minors, fraud, and drug trafficking.
In a release issued on Monday, the DOJ emphasized that these individuals allegedly provided false information or testimony during their naturalization process, which could legally justify the revocation of their citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The crimes in question span bank fraud, wire fraud, and sexual offenses against minors, with some individuals already facing convictions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked, “When criminal aliens break the law and abuse the naturalization process, there are always consequences. Criminal aliens lie about their past crimes, whether they are drug traffickers, sex offenders, or fraudsters.” He went on to note that obtaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege, with the DOJ under President Trump’s administration adopting a strict zero-tolerance policy for such abuses.
One highlighted case is that of Jean-Claude Alfred, a Haitian man who became a U.S. citizen in 1994. In 1993, he was reported to have sexually abused his underage daughter and was later convicted for “attempted sexual assault of a child” and other similar charges in 1996.
The DOJ’s complaint claims that Alfred obtained citizenship through false testimony, thus failing to demonstrate the good moral character needed for naturalization. It further asserts that he concealed significant information about his sexual offenses.
Similar themes emerged in other complaints, where many defendants allegedly concealed criminal histories during their naturalization applications. For instance, Maria Lourdes Montoya, originally from Mexico, is accused of fabricating her husband’s identity to gain residency and citizenship. While she claimed to be married to a deceased American citizen, her actual husband was a Mexican national who had used her husband’s identity. The DOJ stated that Montoya was aware of this deception for immigration benefits, and multiple complaints have been filed against her.
Montoya knowingly utilized her husband’s fraudulent identity to secure these immigration advantages, and five separate complaints seek to revoke her citizenship.
Additionally, some of the complaints highlighted cases where individuals adopted different identities to reapply for immigration benefits.
According to immigration law, it is the responsibility of the U.S. attorney to revoke any citizenship granted unlawfully or through misrepresentation.
The law mandates that the attorney general must bring action to revoke citizenship in cases where it was obtained unlawfully or through the hiding of critical facts.
In May, the DOJ disclosed similar moves to denaturalize 12 citizens connected to significant criminal allegations. This recent effort reflects an increased focus on denaturalizing individuals who may have obtained citizenship through dishonest means.
Between 1990 and 2017, the U.S. government averaged 11 denaturalization lawsuits per year, according to a study.
