DOJ files denaturalization suits seeking revocation of citizenship for 17 naturalized Americans

The Department of Justice announced Monday that it filed civil denaturalization actions in multiple U.S. district courts seeking to revoke citizenship and cancel certificates of naturalization for 17 naturalized U.S. citizens it says are foreign-born and accused of serious crimes. In its announcement, DOJ said the actions are based on the Immigration and Nationality Act provisions that allow the government to revoke naturalized citizenship if it was illegally procured or procured through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation. DOJ also emphasized that the government’s complaints contain allegations only and that there has been no determination of liability.

DOJ said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the filings as consequences for people who, according to prosecutors, “exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law,” and it said the efforts involve coordination with DHS. The department also quoted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin describing citizenship as something he said must be earned honestly, and Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division describing continued efforts to pursue people, in DOJ’s view, who unlawfully or fraudulently obtained citizenship.

The government’s complaint narratives cover a range of alleged conduct, including health care fraud, sexual abuse of minors, wire and bank fraud, visa fraud, drug distribution, and identity-related misrepresentations in immigration proceedings. DOJ cited, for example, a case involving Leidys Delmas Garcia, a naturalized U.S. citizen convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, where DOJ said the fraud included approximately $36,728,595 in allegedly fraudulent billings tied to physical therapy clinics.

DOJ also described cases involving alleged long-term criminal conduct before and around naturalization, coupled with denials or omissions during naturalization applications and interviews. In one example, DOJ said Jean Claude Alfred naturalized in 1994 and was later convicted in Florida in 1996 for attempted sexual battery and lewd and indecent assault involving a child, with DOJ stating the denaturalization complaint alleges he concealed ongoing sexual abuse in the naturalization process. In another example, DOJ said a conspiracy involving Talman Harris, including conduct occurring during the period when he was required to demonstrate “good moral character” for naturalization, led to a jury finding in 2016 on wire fraud and conspiracy charges, and DOJ said the complaint alleges false testimony during naturalization proceedings.

Several filings DOJ described as occurring in early June 2026 were tied to specific district courts. The department said on June 3, 2026, it and the U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota filed a civil denaturalization complaint in District of Minnesota against Abdikadir Ali Kadiye. DOJ said on June 4, 2026, it and the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia filed a complaint against Victor San Shing Kwok in the Northern District of Georgia, and it said on June 4 it brought an action against Maria Lourdes Montoya. DOJ further said on June 5, 2026, it and the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland filed a complaint against Jheromell Obejera Arcilla in Greenbelt, Maryland.

DOJ said the denaturalization actions were prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from USCIS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. attorney’s offices including those serving the Southern District of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the Northern District of Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Jersey. The 17 cases listed in DOJ’s announcement include defendants identified as Andrea Marroquin, Armando Mendoza, Neeraj Sharma, Federico Michel Fermin, Louise Hunkporti, Fernando Cristancho, Ronnie Price, Rodger George Gurdon, Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, and others. DOJ’s release concluded by reiterating that the claims are allegations only and that liability has not been determined.