In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, the United States Department of Justice has launched what is being described as the largest coordinated denaturalisation campaign in the country’s history. The move targets 17 foreign-born individuals, including an Indian-origin businessman, with authorities seeking to revoke their American citizenship over allegations of fraud, criminal misconduct and misrepresentation during the naturalisation process. The development signals a tougher approach by the Donald Trump administration towards naturalised citizens accused of obtaining US citizenship through unlawful means.
Indian-origin businessman among those targeted
One of the individuals named in the latest action is 50-year-old Neeraj Sharma — an Indian-American businessman and owner of New Jersey-based staffing company Magnavision LLC. According to the Department of Justice, Sharma allegedly signed and submitted 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions. Authorities claim the applications falsely stated that the beneficiaries would be employed by a global financial institution. The allegations form part of the government’s case seeking to revoke his citizenship.
Rare legal tool sees unprecedented expansion
For decades, denaturalisation remained an uncommon legal measure in the United States, with only a limited number of cases pursued each year. However, the current administration has significantly expanded its use, particularly in cases involving alleged fraud, concealment of facts and criminal conduct linked to the citizenship process. The Justice Department has increasingly focused on cases where individuals are accused of withholding critical information during naturalisation or allegedly misrepresenting their backgrounds to obtain US citizenship.
Officials argue that citizenship obtained through fraud should not be protected under the law, while critics have raised concerns about the broader implications of such aggressive enforcement.
What US law says about revoking citizenship
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the US government can revoke a person’s citizenship if it determines that naturalisation was obtained illegally or through concealment of material facts or deliberate misrepresentation. The law allows federal authorities to seek cancellation of a naturalisation certificate if evidence emerges showing that the citizenship process was compromised.
Justice Department defends tough action
Defending the government’s approach, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “When criminal aliens exploit the naturalisation process by breaking the law, there are consequences. Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters. Gaining US 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.” Assistant Attorney General Brett A Shumate also reiterated the department’s stance, saying, “We will not turn a blind eye to those who unlawfully obtained US citizenship.”
Wide range of cases included in crackdown
The latest denaturalisation effort covers individuals accused or convicted of a range of serious offences. Among those named are a Haitian immigrant accused of sexually abusing his daughter, a man from the former Yugoslavia convicted of child sexual abuse, and a Mexican immigrant convicted of receiving sexually explicit images involving minors.
The list also includes a former Catholic priest born in Colombia who faces allegations of child sexual abuse and a Philippines-born individual who pleaded guilty to a child sex offence. Additionally, authorities are pursuing citizenship revocation against the daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker accused of money laundering, a Jamaican-born man convicted of wire fraud, and a Cuban-born woman accused of defrauding a tribal casino.
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