The Department of Justice has filed civil complaints to strip U.S. citizenship from 12 naturalized citizens, accusing them of hiding serious crimes ranging from terrorist support and war crimes to child sexual abuse and immigration fraud during their naturalization process.
On Friday, May 8, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the actions target individuals who never should have received American citizenship.
“Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized,” Blanche stated.
The Trump administration is moving quickly to reverse what it calls major failures in the immigration system.
When Citizenship is Obtained Illegally
Federal law allows denaturalization when citizenship was obtained illegally or through willful misrepresentation of material facts.
The cases, filed in multiple district courts, involve people from Iraq, Colombia, Morocco, Somalia, Gambia, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, India, China, Nigeria, and Colombia.
One of the most serious involves Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 48, from Iraq. He entered the U.S. in 2009, claiming persecution by Al-Qaeda.
Iraq now wants to extradite him for the 2006 murder of two police officers, alleging he carried out the killings as an Al-Qaeda leader. Investigators say he lied about his criminal and family history when applying for citizenship.
Oscar Alberto Pelaez, a 75-year-old Colombian Catholic priest, faces denaturalization over convictions for sexually abusing a child.
Between 1998 and 2000, he assaulted a 14-year-old boy repeatedly until the victim turned 17. Pelaez pleaded guilty in 2002 to 13 counts, including oral copulation and sodomy with a minor. Prosecutors say he concealed these crimes on his naturalization application.
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Khalid Ouazzani, 48, of Morocco, swore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution when he naturalized in 2006. Months earlier, he had discussed supporting Al-Qaida with men later convicted in a New York Stock Exchange bombing plot.
He later sent thousands of dollars to the group and pledged loyalty to it. He pleaded guilty in 2010 to bank fraud, money laundering, and material support for terrorism.
Salah Osman Ahmed, 43, from Somalia, naturalized in 2007, and soon traveled to Somalia to fight with al-Shabaab. He pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists.
Baboucarr Mboob, 58, from Gambia, allegedly took part in the 1994 execution of six officers without trial while serving in the military. He admitted his role years later before a truth commission but had hidden it from U.S. immigration officials.
Other cases include Kevin Robin Suarez, 31, from Bolivia, who took part in a gun trafficking ring that moved firearms to Latin American drug organizations.
Abduvosit Razikov, 46, from Uzbekistan, used multiple sham marriages to gain immigration benefits.
Abdallah Osman Sheikh, 28, from Kenya, possessed and shared child sexual abuse images while serving in the Marines and received an other-than-honorable discharge.
Debashis Ghosh, 62, from India, hid an investor fraud scheme involving $2.5 million. Pin He, 53, from China, concealed a prior deportation under a different name.
George Oyakhire, 66, from Nigeria, naturalized using a false identity and a fake date of birth.
Victor Manuel Rocha, 75, from Colombia, admitted he began spying for Cuba in 1973, years before he naturalized in 1978, while lying about his Communist ties.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the department is pursuing these cases at a record pace to restore trust in the naturalization system.
“The disturbing criminal histories confirm these individuals should have never received the privilege of U.S. citizenship,” he said.
The complaints were brought by the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Litigation with help from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and various U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
All allegations remain unproven in the civil denaturalization proceedings, and the individuals have not yet responded in court.
These actions mark a shift in enforcement under the current administration, with a focus on revoking citizenship obtained through deception about past crimes.
If successful, the 12 could lose their passports, voting rights, and legal status as Americans, potentially facing deportation.
