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The Justice Department announced Monday that it is taking steps to revoke the citizenship of 17 people who allegedly obtained naturalization through fraud or deception.
The individuals, from 13 different countries, are accused of serious criminal conduct, including child sexual abuse, narcotics trafficking and large-scale financial fraud.
Almost all of the people allegedly lied during the naturalization process, claiming that they had not committed any crimes that authorities were unaware of, claims that were later found to be false or misleading. By making false statements, the officials argue that they failed to meet the legal requirement of “good moral character” for U.S. citizenship under federal law.
“Attaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege, and under President Trump's strong leadership, this Department of Justice maintains a policy of zero tolerance for abuse of this process,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
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A banner with an image of President Donald Trump is displayed on the facade of the US Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, DC, on February 20, 2026. (Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Image)
“American citizenship is a privilege and must be earned honestly. If you come here, violate our laws and lie in your immigration procedures, you lose that privilege,” added DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
According to the statement, the defendants are overwhelmingly middle-aged and older adults, aged between 39 and 69, and come from 13 countries around the world.
Nine were from the Caribbean and North America, including Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico. Two were from Colombia in South America. One was from the former Yugoslavia in Europe. Three were from Asia, including India, China and the Philippines, and two from Africa, including Somalia and the Congo.
Authorities said many of the applicants were asked under oath if they had ever committed a crime for which they had not yet been arrested. According to authorities, many of the individuals allegedly provided false statements during their interviews, allowing their applications to be approved.
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Immigrants take the oath of citizenship to the United States during a naturalization ceremony at Liberty State Park on September 19, 2014, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The most common alleged crime among those accused is child sexual abuse. Six of the 17 individuals (approximately 35%) were identified in relation to sexual crimes against children, including statutory rape and receipt of explicit images involving minors.
One notable case involved a Roman Catholic priest who allegedly used his position of trust to groom and abuse a child.
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The U.S. Department of Justice logo is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on May 6, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Fraud cases also involved large-scale, multimillion-dollar schemes.
One case allegedly involved $54 million in securities and wire fraud. Another focused on $36.7 million in fraudulent claims billed to Blue Cross Blue Shield through bogus physical therapy clinics. In a separate case, an individual was accused of using inherited funds linked to a Colombian drug cartel to finance real estate transactions, while another defendant was also accused of stealing millions from a Florida tribal casino.
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Several individuals allegedly fabricated their identities in an effort to circumvent the immigration system, the Justice Department said. Four people are accused of using false names, misrepresenting their marital status to U.S. citizens or reapplying multiple times under completely different identities after previous denials.
One woman allegedly adopted a false name after she was denied access in 1995. Authorities said she was finally identified after the government digitized old paper fingerprint records, which linked her current identity to a previous rejected application.
