Who are the 17 people the DOJ wants to strip of US citizenship? From sex offenders to fraudsters, full list revealed
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has moved to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized Americans. These naturalized immigrants are accused accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud, concealment of criminal conduct, or false statements during the immigration process.
Under US law, citizenship can be revoked if it was “illegally procured” or obtained through willful misrepresentation of material facts.
The unprecedented batch of denaturalization cases, announced on June 8, targets individuals from countries including India, Cuba, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Somalia, the Philippines and China.
Read more: Why Trump is seeking to revoke citizenship from 17 Americans | Explained
Why are the US citizenship being revoked?
The department said the actions were filed in federal courts across the country and involve individuals accused or convicted of offenses including child sexual abuse, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, visa fraud, money laundering, identity fraud and illegal drug distribution.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the cases demonstrate a “zero-tolerance policy” toward those who allegedly abused 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,” Blanche said.
He added, “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.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated that citizenship is a privilege that must be earned honestly. “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”
He added, “We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.”
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Who are the 17 individuals named by the DOJ?
According to court filings released by the Justice Department, the 17 individuals include:
Visa fraud
1. Neeraj Sharma, 50 (India) is the former CEO of New Jersey-based staffing company Magnavision LLC. Prosecutors alleged that Sharma submitted fraudulent H-1B visa petitions using forged corporate documents and later concealed the conduct during his naturalization process. He was later convicted of visa fraud.
Sexual crimes and sexual abuse of minors
2. Jean Claude Alfred, 68 (Haiti) is convicted of sexually abusing his minor daughter. Authorities alleged he concealed the abuse while applying for citizenship in the 1990s
3. Fernando Cristancho, 69 (Colombia) is a former Catholic priest serving a 22-year sentence after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement involving a minor. Prosecutors said he hid the abuse during immigration proceedings.
4. Jheromell Obejera Arcilla, 39 (Philippines) is convicted of sexually abusing a 15-year-old relative before becoming a citizen. The United States has brought three claims against Arcilla seeking his denaturalization, including claims that he lacked the good moral character to become a U.S. citizen and that he knowingly lied to immigration authorities.
5. Tahir Lekaj, 43 (Yugoslavia) is convicted in Connecticut of sexually abusing a child for five years. The abuse started when the child was 10 and continued till the child turned 15. Authorities said the abuse occurred before he naturalized.
6. Armando Mendoza, 39 (Mexico) pleaded guilty to receiving sexually explicit images of minors after naturalization. Prosecutors alleged the conduct began before he became a citizen.
7. Ronnie Price, 40 (Trinidad and Tobago) is accused of concealing statutory rape committed before his naturalization.
Money laundering and identity fraud
8. Leidys Delmas Garcia, 54 (Cuba) allegedly participated in a healthcare fraud scheme that fraudulently billed insurers more than $36 million. Due to Delmas Garcia’s admission in criminal proceedings that she and her accomplices founded and maintained thirty physical therapy clinics in Florida that falsely billed commercial insurance carriers, the United States is requesting an order canceling her naturalization.
9. Andrea Marroquin, 44 (Colombia), daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker, allegedly concealed a bigamous marriage and participated in wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.
10. Maria Lourdes Montoya, 63 (Mexico) is accused of obtaining immigration benefits through a false marital identity linked to a deceased US citizen.
Montoya claimed to be the spouse of a U.S. citizen, Gilberto Montoya, in support of both her naturalization and permanent residency applications. However, Montya never wed Gilberto Montoya, who passed away many years ago. Rather, Montoya was married to Ernesto Orozco-Viramontes, a Mexican national who had taken on Gilberto’s identity.
11. Talman Harris, 49 (Jamaica) was convicted in a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme that allegedly caused investors losses of nearly $39 million.
12. Federico Michel Fermin, 54 (Dominican Republic) was convicted in a conspiracy involving the illegal wholesale distribution of prescription drugs.
13. Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, (Cuba) allegedly laundered proceeds from a multimillion-dollar casino fraud conspiracy. Fermin conspired with others to distribute more than $1.7 million in prescription drugs wholesale without a license. Fermin also altered drug packaging so that the prescription drugs that were distributed to pharmacies would appear to have been purchased from licensed individuals to distribute them.
14. Abdikadir Ali Kadiye, 54 (Somalia) allegedly used multiple identities to seek admission to the United States. Kadiye initially sought admission to the United States under the identity Liban M. Degel. He also claimed that he was married with no children.
After an immigration judge denied his application for immigration benefits, Kadiye submitted a second application under the identity of Abdikadir Ali Kadiye.
15. Victor San Shing Kwok, 50 (China) allegedly concealed a prior removal order and immigration denial. Kwok initially sought admission to the United States under the identity of Xin Cheng Guo but was denied entry.
He married a US Citizen and hid the prior denial order to seek immigration benefits at the time of adjustment of his resident status.
16.Louise Hunkporti, 64 (Congo) allegedly adopted a new identity after being denied immigration benefits. Hunkporti naturalized as a US citizen on March 2, 2010 under the adopted identity.
17. Rodger George Gurdon, 55 (Jamaica) allegedly participated in conspiracies involving stolen military medical supplies and marijuana distribution before naturalization.