US DOJ to revoke citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans accused of concealing criminal history

The US Department of Justice has decided to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans accused of concealing criminal histories, providing false information or concealing other material facts during the immigration and naturalization process.

US DOJ revokes citizenship of 40 Americans

The cases were filed in federal courts between August 21 and October 2, according to the Justice Department. The agency called the filing, announced Oct. 5, the largest volume of denaturalization complaints filed in a single period under the Trump administration.

The event focuses on people who were born outside the United States and later became naturalized citizens. Charges vary from case to case.

They include claims related to serious crimes, immigration fraud, identity fraud, fraudulent marriages and failure to disclose prior immigration proceedings.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, naturalized citizenship can be revoked if it was unlawfully obtained or secured by material concealment or willful misrepresentation. However, the most recent cases are civil complaints and the allegations have not yet been proven in court. The Justice Department itself noted that the claims remain allegations.

Who are these people and what have they done?

Among the cases announced by the department is that of Lazar Eduardo Trujillo Viton, a Cuban national accused of concealing his involvement in a health care fraud conspiracy and making fraudulent Medicare claims.

Prosecutors say the conduct began before he became a citizen and continued through the naturalization process.

Another case involves Canadian-born Andrew Coldicutt, who the department says misrepresented his criminal history when applying for citizenship. The government says he was previously involved in securities fraud and later faced federal convictions.

The filing also includes Ramon Navarro, a Filipino national accused of entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain lawful permanent resident status before using that status to obtain citizenship. In another case, Afghan-born Asad Jhon Ramim is accused of using another person’s identity for nearly three decades before finally obtaining U.S. citizenship under that identity.

The announcement comes as the Department of Justice has stepped up denaturalization proceedings this year. In July, the department announced action against 10 naturalized citizens accused of crimes including child sexual abuse, health care fraud, immigration fraud and drug trafficking. In August, she announced 25 more cases, describing them at the time as part of what she called the largest denaturalization effort ever.

The latest move also comes alongside a separate Justice Department crackdown on alleged election wrongdoing involving stateless persons. On October 5, the department announced charges against 16 foreign nationals accused of illegally voting, fraudulently registering as voters, or falsely claiming US citizenship to vote.

These cases do not mean that 40 people immediately lost their citizenship. The government must prove its claims through a legal process before naturalization can be revoked.

For now, the Justice Department’s filings represent allegations, and those named in the cases have the right to challenge them in court.