Trump Administration Moves To Revoke Citizenship Of 17 Convicted Criminals
The Justice Department is preparing to announce a new effort aimed at stripping U.S. citizenship from 17 naturalized citizens convicted of serious crimes, including fraud, sexual abuse, and drug-related offenses.
The initiative is part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on individuals accused of obtaining American citizenship through fraud, deception, or by concealing criminal conduct during the naturalization process.
“Gaining U.S. 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,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
“We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to make sure U.S. citizenship is granted to those who truly deserve it,” he added.
Among those targeted is Cuban-born Delmas Garcia, 54, who was convicted in a major healthcare fraud scheme. According to the Justice Department, Garcia admitted to operating 30 physical therapy clinics in Florida that fraudulently billed an insurance company more than $36 million for services that were either unnecessary or never provided.
The administration is also pursuing denaturalization proceedings against Haitian-born Jean Claude Alfred, 68.
Federal officials allege Alfred sexually abused his minor daughter beginning in September 1993, roughly one month before he applied for U.S. citizenship. During the naturalization process, Alfred reportedly denied committing any crimes for which he had not been arrested.
He later was convicted by a Florida jury of attempted sexual battery involving a child in a familial relationship as well as lewd and indecent assault on a child under 16.
Because Alfred became a U.S. citizen in 1994 while allegedly concealing those crimes, the Justice Department argues that his citizenship was fraudulently obtained.
Another high-profile target is Colombian-born Fernando Cristancho, a former Roman Catholic priest.
Federal officials allege Cristancho used his position within the church to groom and sexually abuse a minor parishioner between the ages of 11 and 13. He later pleaded guilty and received a 22-year prison sentence.
The Justice Department contends that Cristancho failed to disclose relevant conduct during the naturalization process and lacked the moral character required to obtain citizenship.
The administration is also seeking to revoke the citizenship of Andrea Marroquin, the daughter of a major Colombian drug trafficker.
According to prosecutors, Marroquin obtained permanent residency by concealing a bigamous marriage to an American citizen and later used proceeds tied to her father’s drug empire to conduct fraudulent real estate transactions in Miami.
Officials allege she concealed those activities when she became a U.S. citizen in 2009.
The latest actions follow guidance issued by the Justice Department last year directing federal prosecutors to prioritize denaturalization cases involving individuals who may pose threats to national security or who obtained citizenship through fraud.
According to reports, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was later instructed to identify between 100 and 200 potential denaturalization cases each month for review by federal attorneys.
Administration officials have argued that the effort is part of a larger campaign against fraud and abuse within the immigration system.
While denaturalization remains relatively rare, federal law permits the government to revoke citizenship if it can prove an individual obtained naturalization through material misrepresentations, concealment of facts, or other forms of fraud.
The Justice Department has not yet announced whether additional cases beyond the current 17 individuals will be filed in the coming weeks.