Another approach to border security: Denaturalization

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

The Trump administration is advancing multiple approaches to border security, including enforcing federal law that requires denaturalization.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and their certificate of naturalization canceled, if they obtained it through illegal means, including concealing material facts or willfully misrepresenting them. Those with criminal records are prohibited from obtaining citizenship, including felonies, violent crimes and any terrorist connections.

The Department of Justice this week filed the latest of many denaturalization actions it’s taken over the past year in federal courts nationwide. This time, 17 people on the list include those convicted of violent crimes, including child sex abuse, as well as wire and bank fraud, among other crimes.

They are from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, Yugoslavia, Jamaica, India, Dominican Republic, Somalia, China, Congo, Trinidad and Tobago and the Philippines.

Their cases are being prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada and New Jersey.

“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences. Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters. Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Key cases in Florida include denaturalizing Cuban, Haitian and Colombian nationals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. In one case, a Cuban woman is being denaturalized after she was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud through dozens of physical therapy clinics that fraudulently billed commercial insurance providers for more than $36.7 million. In another case, a Haitian man is being denaturalized after being convicted of child sex abuse. In another, a Colombian drug trafficker’s daughter is being denaturalized after committing wire and bank fraud, money laundering and using the proceeds to purchase real estate in Miami.

Other cases involve marriage fraud and identity theft to falsely obtain citizenship as well as a range of sex crimes.

“American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “DHS will not stand idly by while Americans are harmed by criminals including sex offenders, perpetrators of fraud, and drug traffickers who have exploited our generosity and gamed our immigration system. We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.”

Last month, the DOJ moved to denaturalize 12 individuals for their support for terrorism, involvement in illegal arms deals and weapons smuggling, and a range of fraud crimes. They are from Iraq, Colombia, Morocco, Somalia, Gambia, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, India, China and Nigeria.

Their cases are being prosecuted in the District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of California, District of Minnesota, Middle District of Florida, Western District of Kentucky, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Southern District of Iowa and Northern District of Illinois.

In Arizona, an Iraqi citizen entered the U.S. in 2009 falsely claiming he and his family were attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. Ten years later, the Republic of Iraq requested that he be extradited to face criminal charges for the premediated murder of two Iraqi police officers in 2006. Iraq claims he murdered Iraqi police officers as an Al-Qaeda terrorist organization leader, the DOJ said.

In Missouri, a Moroccan national helped plan a bomb attack at the New York Stock Exchange in support of Al-Qaida. One year after he was naturalized, “he sent Al-Qaida tens of thousands of dollars in financial support with money that he had fraudulently obtained” and pledged allegiance to Al-Quida, the DOJ said. He also pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering, and providing material support to Al-Qaida.

In Minnesota, a Somali national began providing material support to terrorists months after he was naturalized. He also traveled to Somalia to fight and kill Ethiopians and joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab, the DOJ said. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists in Minnesota but wasn’t deported or denaturalized.

The actions are being taken as the DOJ continues to prosecute young Muslim men nationwide who’ve been arrested and charged with providing material support to Islamic terrorist organizations, The Center Square reported.