The Justice Department on Monday said it is moving to strip 17 naturalized individuals of their citizenship after they were convicted of crimes ranging from sex offenses to drug-dealing.
The Trump administration has filed paperwork with courts to denaturalize citizens more frequently than in years past and has repeatedly warned that those who are naturalized and commit crimes could be subject to the process.
Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, his administration has filed 52 civil complaints against naturalized citizens who committed crimes compared to 24 civil complaints during the four years of the preceding Biden administration, according to the DOJ.
In this June 21, 2022, file photo, the Robert F. Kennedy Building, the Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters is shown in Washington, D.C.
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“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences. Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process. We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to make sure U.S. citizenship is granted to those who truly deserve it.”
In order to denaturalize a citizen who wasn’t born in the U.S., the Justice Department must file a notice to do so with the court — and must prove that they misled the government in obtaining citizenship by not disclosing prior crimes. The timeline to do this is dependent on the particular court.
“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,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “DHS will not stand idly by while Americans are harmed by criminals, including sex offenders, perpetrators of fraud, and drug traffickers who have exploited our generosity and gamed our immigration system. We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.”
