Trump To Revoke Citizenship From Who?

Trump Administration Moves to Revoke Citizenship of 17 Naturalized Americans in Major Crackdown

The Trump administration is moving to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized Americans accused of serious crimes, marking one of the most significant denaturalization efforts in recent years.

The Department of Justice announced Monday that federal prosecutors have filed cases in multiple U.S. District Courts seeking to strip citizenship from foreign-born individuals accused of offenses ranging from fraud and drug trafficking to sexual crimes and alleged deception during the naturalization process.

Administration officials argue that U.S. citizenship must be obtained lawfully and maintained through compliance with the law.

“American citizenship is a privilege that must be earned honestly,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “Those who violate the law and misrepresent themselves during immigration proceedings risk losing that privilege.”

Among those facing denaturalization is Leidys Delmas Garcia, a Cuban-born woman convicted for her role in a healthcare fraud scheme that authorities say involved roughly $36 million in fraudulent activity.

Another case involves Andrea Marroquin, whose family has ties to a major Colombian drug trafficking organization. Prosecutors allege she used inherited funds to support fraudulent real estate transactions in Florida and participated in bank fraud and money laundering schemes.

According to administration officials, the group targeted in the latest actions includes individuals from a wide range of countries. Eleven are from Latin America and the Caribbean, three are from Asia, two are from Africa, and one is from Europe.

The administration is relying on provisions within the Immigration and Nationality Act that allow the government to revoke citizenship if it determines that naturalization was obtained through fraud, concealment of material facts, or other forms of misrepresentation.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department intends to aggressively pursue cases involving alleged abuse of the immigration and naturalization system.

“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process, there are consequences,” Blanche said. “The Department of Justice will continue enforcing the law and protecting the integrity of the citizenship process.”

Historically, denaturalization cases have been relatively uncommon. Research shows that between 1990 and 2017, the federal government filed only a small number of such cases annually.

The latest legal actions come as part of the administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda. Last month, the Justice Department launched a separate effort targeting another group of naturalized citizens whose cases are also under review.

Supporters of the policy argue it protects the integrity of U.S. citizenship, while critics contend that expanded denaturalization efforts raise concerns about due process and government overreach.

The cases will now move through the federal court system, where judges will determine whether the government has met the legal standard required to revoke citizenship.