Trump Administration Seeks to Strip U.S. Citizenship From Two Nigerians, 38 Others
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated legal proceedings to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalised Americans, including two Nigerians, over alleged fraud, concealment of information and other serious offences.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the denaturalisation cases were filed across federal courts between August 21 and October 2, describing them as the largest number of such complaints filed within a single period during the Trump administration.
Among those named is Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole, a 54-year-old Nigerian accused of withholding information about previous identities, arrests, immigration applications and deportation proceedings during her naturalisation process.
According to the Justice Department, prosecutors filed a case against Ashamole in the District of Maryland on September 25, alleging that she obtained U.S. citizenship through fraud and false statements.
Another Nigerian named in the proceedings is Semiu Olaiye Ijalu, 58, who is accused of using two identities when applying for U.S. immigration benefits.
Prosecutors allege that Ijalu had previously been ordered to leave the United States but failed to disclose the deportation order when he later applied for permanent residency after marrying a U.S. citizen in 2009.
The government is asking a federal court in Georgia to revoke his naturalisation, arguing that he allegedly concealed important information and made deliberate misrepresentations during the immigration process.
The other defendants include individuals from several countries who are accused of offences ranging from serious violent and sexual crimes to espionage-related activities and immigration fraud.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the latest cases as a major expansion of the administration's denaturalisation efforts, saying the individuals targeted allegedly concealed significant information from U.S. authorities.
The Justice Department said it would continue pursuing denaturalisation cases where it believes citizenship was obtained unlawfully, particularly in cases involving serious criminal conduct or deliberate deception during the immigration process.
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