The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday that it has filed denaturalization actions against 17 naturalized US citizens accused of serious crimes or of obtaining citizenship through fraud, marking one of the largest denaturalization efforts in decades.
According to federal officials, the cases were filed in US District Courts across the country and target individuals accused of concealing criminal histories, providing false information during the naturalization process, or committing offenses that would have made them ineligible for citizenship. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to crack down on immigration-related fraud and expand scrutiny beyond people living in the country unlawfully.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said American citizenship is a privilege that must be earned honestly, arguing that individuals who break laws and misrepresent themselves during immigration proceedings should face consequences.
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Why Is the Administration Pursuing Denaturalization?
The administration is relying on provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allow the government to revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans if it can prove they obtained that status through fraud, concealment of material facts, or other forms of misrepresentation.
Among those targeted is Leidys Delmas Garcia, a Cuban-born woman convicted for her role in a $36 million healthcare fraud conspiracy in Florida. Another individual, Andrea Marroquin, the daughter of a major Colombian drug trafficker, faces allegations involving fraudulent real estate transactions, bank fraud, and money laundering.
The 17 individuals include people accused or convicted of crimes such as sexual abuse of a minor, healthcare fraud, drug trafficking, conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs without a license, and immigration-related fraud. Federal officials also identified a former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing a minor and a man accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions.
The latest actions follow a similar DOJ announcement last month involving 12 denaturalization cases. While denaturalization has historically been rare due to the high legal threshold required to revoke citizenship, the Trump administration has pledged to use all available legal tools to pursue cases where officials believe citizenship was obtained improperly.