DOJ Moves to Denaturalize Immigrants Who Lied on Citizenship Applications About Egregious Crimes

The Department of Justice moved to denaturalize 17 individuals accused of concealing their histories of serious crimes, such as sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and sale or distribution of illegal drugs.

The Trump administration will revoke the citizenship of individuals from Somalia, China, Colombia, India, Haiti, and other countries under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The law says a certificate of naturalization can be revoked if naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

“American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “If you come here and break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”

Immigrants must face consequences for lying about their past crimes, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences,” Blanche said.

One of the 17 individuals, Abdikadir Ali Kadiye, a 54-year-old from Somalia, allegedly lied about his identity on his visa application, according to the Justice Department.

Beginning in 1997, he initially sought admission into the United States under the identity of Liban M. Degel, claiming that he was married with no children. An immigration judge denied his application for immigration benefits, so he submitted a second application under a different identity. He admitted that he used two identities for admission after his naturalization, the Justice Department says.

Fernando Cristancho of Colombia, an ordained Roman Catholic priest, entered the United States as a religious worker, but used his position to sexually groom minors, the Justice Department stated.

He abused a minor parishioner from when the victim was 11 to 13 years old. He later admitted to the crime and pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

The denaturalization complaint filed against Cristancho says he hid his ongoing crime from immigration officials. The DOJ says he illegally obtained naturalization by concealing his crimes and misrepresenting his illegal sexual activity.

Ronnie Price, a 40-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago, lied in the naturalization process about committing statutory rape against a 16-year-old girl. Price told immigration officials he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, he falsely testified about this, and he concealed facts that would have uncovered his criminal activity, according to the Justice Department.

Victor San Shing Kwok, a 50-year-old from China, sought admission to the United States under the identity of Xin Cheng Guo in 1994. After his application was denied, Kwok sought admission to the United States by marrying a U.S. citizen.

In his application to adjust his resident status, Kwok did not disclose the prior denial of his application for an immigration benefit and his pending order of removal, the DOJ denaturalization complaint says.