The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday it is seeking to denaturalize a dozen people from various parts of the country who are accused of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Federal prosecutors filed denaturalization actions in U.S. District Courts across the country this week against 12 people, alleging they lied during the naturalization process, including about previous criminal behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DOJ said these people \u2014 ranging in age from 28 to 75 years \u2014 concealed serious offenses while seeking legal status, including providing material support to a terrorist group, war crimes and sexual abuse of a minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among them is former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Victor Manuel Rocha, a native of Colombia who is serving a 15-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges related to his work as a covert spy for the Cuban government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others facing the possible revocation of their citizenship include five natives of African countries, three from Asia and two from South America, according to the DOJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Trump administration claims these people never should have qualified to become American citizens, and therefore their status should be revoked because it was \u201cillegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system,\u201d acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. \u201cThose who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalization process will face the fullest extent of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week\u2019s actions mark the latest move in the Trump administration\u2019s push to strip citizenship from naturalized immigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employees in the DOJ\u2019s civil division were directed in a memo in June to \u201cmaximally pursue denaturalization proceedings,\u201d outlining 10 categories of people who should be prioritized, including those who pose a national security concern and people with pending criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of Homeland Security was subsequently directed in December to make as many as 200 referrals for potential denaturalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process can only occur in federal court, unlike other immigration proceedings, which are handled in an administrative setting. The government holds a \u201chigh burden of proof\u201d when attempting to revoke a person\u2019s naturalization, with civil actions requiring \u201cclear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence which does not leave the issue in doubt,\u201d according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such actions have been historically rare. Research shows the U.S. government opened an average of 11 denaturalization cases per year between 1990 and 2017, with a slight uptick to 25 cases per year during the first Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n