The Trump administration is launching a sweeping effort to strip U.S. citizenship from foreign-born individuals who obtained it through fraud, marking a significant escalation in the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
According to internal guidance obtained by The New York Times, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers were directed this week to supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with up to 200 denaturalization cases each month.
“It’s no secret that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ war on fraud includes prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship — especially under the previous administration,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. “We will pursue denaturalization proceedings for those individuals lying or misrepresenting themselves during the naturalization process. We look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Justice to restore integrity to America’s immigration system.”
Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, the Department of Justice has filed more than 120 denaturalization cases, according to federal data cited by the Times. Officials expect that number to rise significantly under new marching orders.
The move comes amid a broader push by Trump to expose fraudulent actors who have gamed the immigration system. That includes high-profile figures like Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who has long faced allegations that she entered into a fraudulent marriage with her own brother to gain immigration benefits.
Last week, Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed the administration is actively investigating Omar for potential immigration fraud. Omar has denied wrongdoing, calling the officials “sick” and claiming no evidence will emerge.
Omar, born in Somalia, entered the United States in 1995 after her family received asylum. She became a naturalized citizen in 2000. In 2002, she entered a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, though in 2009 she legally married British national Ahmed Elmi. Despite that legal union, she continued her relationship with Hirsi, including having children together.
Omar and Elmi reportedly separated in 2011 and divorced legally in 2017. She then married Democratic political consultant Tim Mynett in 2020.
While it’s unclear if Omar’s case will fall under the new USCIS initiative, any confirmed fraud could carry serious consequences. If found guilty, she could face up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and deportation. She may also face separate charges in Minnesota for potentially violating state incest laws, which carry up to a 10-year sentence.
The administration is also using less controversial cases to make its case for aggressive denaturalization. In one recent example, Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara, a Salvadoran-born immigrant, was stripped of his U.S. citizenship after it was revealed he lied about being a convicted child sex offender.
Court documents revealed that between 2012 and 2016, Graciano Lara raped his stepdaughter — who was under 14 — multiple times in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2015, while actively abusing the child, he lied on his naturalization application and during his federal interview. Authorities finally caught up with him, and his citizenship was revoked earlier this year.
Back in July, the Justice Department issued instructions for all U.S. attorneys to prioritize denaturalization cases against individuals who pose a threat to national security or public safety.
There are approximately 26 million naturalized citizens in the U.S., according to Census Bureau data. Between October 2023 and September 2024 alone, over 800,000 people took the oath of citizenship.
The Trump administration’s move signals it will continue using every legal tool available to root out fraud and protect the integrity of the immigration system — even if that means revoking citizenship after it’s already been granted.
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