The Department of Justice announced on Friday efforts to denaturalize 12 individuals in the United States who are accused of misrepresenting their backgrounds during immigration proceedings. Among the 12 the DOJ is seeking to denaturalize are a man convicted of sexual assault against a child, committing terrorist activities while a member of Al-Qaeda, financing Al-Qaeda, and supporting global terrorists, among other charges and accusations. Each of the 12 is accused of concealing this information during their individual naturalization proceedings.
“Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation,” read a release issued by the DOJ.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said individuals convicted and involved in such “heinous crimes” should not have been naturalized, and would not have been, if they were honest with their background information.
