The Department of Justice announced that it has urged courts to strip citizenship from those who have been convicted of crimes. The action, specifically requested to be taken against 17 individuals accused of offenses such as sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distributing drugs, the DOJ explained.
The DOJ used the Immigration and Nationality Act as the basis of its request. According to the law, a U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked if they are found to have illegally procured or “procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”
“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,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to make sure U.S. citizenship is granted to those who truly deserve it.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement, “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 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,” he continued. “We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.”
