DOJ Targets 12 Naturalized Citizens for Denaturalization Over Hidden Terrorism Ties, Crimes

The Department of Justice has increased its use of a seldom-used legal mechanism to revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans. On Friday, it targeted 12 people accused of hiding connections to terrorism, violent crimes and other offenses. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said more cases will follow.

The actions included civil complaints or charges against immigrants from Iraq, Somalia, China and India. Blanche has promoted expanding denaturalization, a typically challenging process. The move follows a DOJ Civil Division memo last summer that called for more cases as part of the Trump administration's focus on illegal immigration and fraud.

Blanche said in a statement to Fox News Digital that anyone who intentionally concealed criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during naturalization will face the fullest extent of the law.

One target, Ali Yousif Ahmed, gained citizenship after claiming he fled Iraq in 2009 due to al-Qaeda attacks on his family, authorities said. Iraq sought his extradition in 2019 for allegedly murdering two Iraqi police officers as an al-Qaeda leader, a detail he omitted from his U.S. application.

Salah Osman Ahmed of Somalia naturalized in 2007. He pleaded guilty in 2009 to providing material support for terrorists and belonged to al-Shabaab. The DOJ said joining a terrorist group within five years of naturalization justifies revoking citizenship.

Others included Abduvosit Razikov of Uzbekistan, accused of a sham marriage to gain citizenship, and Oscar Alberto Pelaez of Colombia, a priest convicted in the United States of 13 counts of sexual abuse of a minor, including sodomy. He allegedly lied about the crimes during naturalization.

Denaturalization has historically been rare. Over about 30 years, the DOJ filed roughly 305 cases. The government brought 168 cases after Trump took office in 2017. The number dropped sharply under President Joe Biden but has resurfaced with Trump's return.

Prosecutors must prove material fraud with clear and convincing evidence, said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor in California. It is not an easy process.

Blanche warned in a recent CBS News interview that people who obtained citizenship through fraud should be worried. He said the targets are U.S. citizens who should not be citizens, and more details will emerge in coming days and weeks.

When pressed on denaturalization as a drastic penalty, Blanche replied, "It's a very drastic reward being naturalized, committing fraud."

Immigrant rights groups worry that the Trump administration's push has unsettled the roughly 24 million naturalized citizens in the United States. Forum policy expert Christian Penichet-Paul wrote last summer that the efforts could revoke citizenship from people with minor or unintentional mistakes on applications.

Rahmani said the fraud must be significant and intentional, not trivial or negligent. It has to be material, meaning citizenship would not have been granted if the Department of Homeland Security had known.