The Trump administration is pushing to revoke American citizenship on a larger scale, with ten more individuals accused of crimes or immigration fraud facing denaturalization charges. Under President Donald Trump, the federal government is notably increasing the number of these cases. Unlike visa revocations, denaturalization requires strict legal benchmarks, and historically, the number of such cases is low. However, a determined push aims to set records, focusing on those believed to have gained citizenship fraudulently.
According to a list from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ), the individuals accused were either involved in crimes or committed immigration fraud before applying for U.S. citizenship. Despite attempts by Newsweek to obtain attorney details for these cases, none were listed in public court records at the time of reporting.
“We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship,”stated Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.“Under this administration, if you defrauded the naturalization process, you will face the full force of the Justice Department. We’ve only scratched the surface—many more complaints are coming.”
Cases and Accusations
The list includes six individuals from Mexico and one each from Cuba, Pakistan, Peru, and Poland. Several cases involve alleged child sexual abuse or the use of deceitful means during citizenship applications. The administration contends these individuals’ citizenships were improperly granted due to misrepresented or concealed information during the naturalization process.
For example, Urbano Vazquez Ortega, a former priest from Mexico, became a citizen in 2017 and was later convicted of child sexual abuse, receiving a 15-year prison sentence. Similarly, Francisco Montano, also from Mexico, was convicted of previous sexual crimes which reportedly occurred before his naturalization in 1997.
Other allegations center on fraud. Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez from Cuba is accused of hiding a Medicare fraud scheme involving false claims exceeding $886,000 before gaining U.S. citizenship. Murtaza Ali from Pakistan is alleged to have used multiple aliases for securing immigration benefits. He later admitted to making false statements to a federal agency in 2014.
The case list also includes drug trafficking and financial crimes. A Mexican immigrant, Omar Cantu-Montalvo, pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking, while Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz from Poland, a former priest, was convicted of wire fraud and sexual conduct offenses. Both concealed their criminal activities during their citizenship applications.
Understanding Denaturalization
In these proceedings, the government must demonstrate that individuals either illegally procured naturalization or obtained citizenship by misrepresenting or concealing vital facts. Civil denaturalization complaints seek to revoke citizenship, potentially resulting in a return to noncitizen status and possible deportation.
“When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship,”
said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “These criminal aliens, comprised of drug traffickers, pedophiles, and fraudsters, lost that right and exploited our immigration system—harming real U.S. citizens. DHS is committed to ensuring we denaturalize and remove these fraudsters with every tool at our disposal.”
Despite the political focus, denaturalization cases remain rare. From 1990 to 2017, the average was about 11 per year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. During Trump’s first term, this increased to around 25 cases annually, a small percentage given over 24 million naturalized citizens in the U.S.
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