US CLAWS BACK CITIZENSHIP - J’can wire fraud convict among 17 citizens targeted for denaturalisation

A Jamaican man is among 17 naturalised United States (US) citizens targeted by the Trump administration for denaturalisation proceedings.

According to the US Department of Justice, the Jamaican national, who has not been identified, was convicted of wire fraud.

The administration is seeking to revoke the citizenship of the 17 individuals, who also include persons originally from Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, the former Yugoslavia, and the Philippines.

The Justice Department said some of those targeted were convicted of serious crimes, including sexual offences against children. Others were convicted of fraud-related crimes or are accused of committing immigration fraud.

The move forms part of the Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown, which has placed increased emphasis on denaturalisation.

Last year, the Justice Department expanded the categories of naturalised citizens who may be prioritised for citizenship revocation.

Federal officials argue that those being targeted either concealed criminal activity during the naturalisation process or were otherwise ineligible for US citizenship because they failed to meet the requirement of demonstrating "good moral character".

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department has "zero tolerance for abuse of the naturalization process".

"Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators and fraudsters," Blanche said.

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the administration would "continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalise and remove aliens".

"American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly," he said.

Mullin added that individuals who commit crimes and provide false information during immigration proceedings forfeit the privilege of US citizenship.

The denaturalisation process allows those targeted to challenge the government's allegations in court in an effort to retain their citizenship.

If a person is denaturalised, he or she reverts to a previous immigration status, typically that of a lawful permanent resident or green card holder, and loses the legal protections and benefits associated with American citizenship, including protection from deportation.

Denaturalisation cases can be lengthy and complex and are relatively rare because the government must persuade a judge to revoke a person's citizenship.

Between 1990 and 2017, the federal government filed an average of 11 denaturalisation cases annually.

The targeting of the 17 individuals represents one of the largest recent efforts by the federal government to strip citizenship from naturalised Americans.

[email protected]