The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced actions to revoke the U.S. citizenship of 10 naturalized individuals across various U.S. district courts. These denaturalization complaints, filed over the last 30 days, target individuals accused of serious offenses including child sexual abuse, healthcare and wire fraud, immigration fraud, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin emphasized the administration's stance, stating, "When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship." He added that these "criminal aliens" exploited the immigration system and harmed U.S. citizens, affirming DHS's commitment to "denaturalize and remove these fraudsters with every tool at our disposal."
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the individuals, including "child sex abusers, a nearly $900,000 Medicare fraudster, and a cocaine trafficker," "lied their way into U.S. citizenship." Blanche asserted that these individuals "lacked the good moral character required by law and procured citizenship through willful misrepresentations and concealment of their crimes," promising continued aggressive pursuit of denaturalization under President Trump’s leadership.
Among those targeted is Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez, a Cuban native who naturalized in 2018 but allegedly concealed a scheme to submit over $886,000 in fraudulent Medicare claims. Urbano Vazquez Ortega, a Mexican native and former priest, faces denaturalization after being convicted of multiple counts of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse committed between 2015 and 2017. Another case involves Omar Cantu-Montalvo, who naturalized in 2005 but later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, a conspiracy he joined before his naturalization application. Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz, a former Polish priest, is also facing denaturalization for a scheme to steal church collections and illicit sexual conduct involving a minor prior to his naturalization.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division affirmed the commitment, saying, "We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship." He warned that "many more complaints are coming," signaling a continued focus on individuals who defrauded the naturalization process.