The Trump administration has launched a sweeping effort to strip 40 naturalized Americans of their U.S. citizenship as part of what U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche called the "largest denaturalization effort in modern history." The Justice Department alleges the they obtained citizenship illegally or through fraud. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, naturalized U.S. citizenship can be revoked by a federal court if the government establishes that it was illegally obtained or procured through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.
Defedents vary in age from 26 to 76 and came to the U.S. from 20 different countries, including eight from Mexico and four from Pakistan, according to a Justice Department press release. Among those targeted is Jinchao Wei, a Chinese-born former U.S. Navy sailor convicted in 2025 of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage and unlawfully exporting technical data related to defense articles.
The government alleges Wei began conspiring to sell military secrets to China before becoming a U.S. citizen in May 2022 and concealed that conduct during the naturalization process. He was sentenced to 200 months in prison. The Justice Department is also seeking to revoke the citizenship of Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali, 58, an Egyptian native accused of using fraudulent H-1B petitions to allow a family member to remain in the United States.
Prosecutors allege Ali misrepresented her work history and the sponsorship during her own naturalization process. This is a developing story; more to follow.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
