Trump's DOJ Expands 'Largest Denaturalisation Effort Ever' by Targeting 10 Naturalised Criminals

A new batch of naturalised Americans are about to find out that a US passport doesn't always mean permanent protection. The Trump administration has just filed to strip citizenship from 10 naturalised Americans accused of lying their way into the country's good graces, including alleged child abusers, a Medicare fraudster and a cocaine trafficker, all accused of lying their way into the country's good graces.

The move marks the latest escalation in what officials are calling the 'largest denaturalisation effort' in American history. It also raises fresh questions about how far back prosecutors are willing to dig into old immigration files to unwind decisions made years, even decades, ago.

Who Are the 10 Naturalised Citizens Facing Denaturalisation?

The Justice Department announced that 'The Trump Administration continues the largest denaturalisation effort ever' by naming 10 individuals targeted in complaints filed across US district courts over the past month.

Among those named is Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez, 45, from Cuba, who allegedly concealed a Medicare fraud scheme worth more than $886,000 (£697,600) before naturalising in 2018. He later pleaded guilty and was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud.

Urbano Vazquez Ortega, 53, a former priest from Mexico, was convicted of multiple counts of sexually abusing children in Washington, D.C. Jimmy Aguero, 51, from Peru, was sentenced to ten years for repeatedly abusing his minor stepdaughter, while Francisco Montano, 59, allegedly hid child sexual abuse committed before his 1997 naturalisation.

The remaining six include Ceflo Luviano-Mojica, 60, and Omar Cantu-Montalvo, 44, both accused of concealing prior convictions, the latter for cocaine trafficking. Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz, 53, allegedly bought false identity documents to secure residency, while Martin Garcia Cardie, Murtaza Ali and Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz round out the list, facing allegations ranging from immigration fraud to false statements.

The 17 Others Stripped of Citizenship in June

This is not an isolated push. In June, the department moved against 17 other naturalised sex offenders, drug dealers and fraudsters, including Maria Lourdes Montoya, who misrepresented her husband's identity to gain residency, and Tahir Lekaj, who lied that he had not committed a crime when he applied for naturalisation in 2004.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the strategy bluntly: '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.'

Mullin added that DHS will take action against criminals, including sex offenders, fraudsters, and drug traffickers exploiting the US immigration system. 'We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalise and remove aliens,' he continued.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate struck a similarly uncompromising tone, vowing the department will not overlook fraudulently obtained citizenship and warning that anyone attempting to defraud the naturalisation process will continue to be pursued.

Why Old Immigration Files Are Coming Back to Haunt Naturalised Americans

The Trump administration's Justice Department has increasingly scrutinised decades-old immigration records, filing denaturalisation lawsuits against naturalised US citizens accused of concealing criminal conduct or committing fraud during the naturalization process.

Many of the cases involve immigration applications from the 1990s and 2000s, with officials comparing historical records and fingerprints against later criminal investigations and citizenship applications.

For those affected, the process hinges on proving that a crime was concealed or misrepresented at the time citizenship was granted. Civil liberties advocates warn this approach risks treating citizenship as permanently provisional, particularly for those without legal advice during their original applications.

Officials have also indicated that USCIS field offices have been instructed to supply dozens more potential cases each month, suggesting this round of filings is unlikely to be the last.