The Daily Fuckup

The Justice Department said Monday, June 8, that it filed denaturalization actions in federal court against 17 naturalized U.S. citizens. The department said the cases involve allegations including sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distributing drugs without a license.([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-strip-us-citizenship-17-naturalized-sex-offenders-fraudsters-drug?utm_source=openai))

The filings do not revoke anyone’s citizenship on their own. They ask a court to determine whether the people named in the complaints obtained naturalization illegally or by hiding material facts during the application process. Under the statute DOJ cited, citizenship can be challenged if it was procured through concealment or willful misrepresentation.([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-strip-us-citizenship-17-naturalized-sex-offenders-fraudsters-drug?utm_source=openai))

One of the department’s examples says a defendant, Delmas Garcia, allegedly told a naturalization interviewer under penalty of perjury that she had not committed crimes for which she had not been arrested and had not given false or misleading information to immigration officials. Another complaint cited by DOJ says a defendant named Price allegedly concealed unlawful conduct during the period when he was required to show good moral character and gave false testimony during his naturalization interview.([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-strip-us-citizenship-17-naturalized-sex-offenders-fraudsters-drug?utm_source=openai))

The announcement comes amid a broader denaturalization push that the department has been advancing in other cases this year, including complaints tied to child sexual abuse, fraud, and other serious offenses. Those actions remain allegations until a court rules.([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-denaturalize-12-individuals-concealing-terrorist-support-war-crimes?utm_source=openai))

For now, the only confirmed step is the filing itself. Whether any of the 17 lose citizenship will depend on what the courts do next.([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-strip-us-citizenship-17-naturalized-sex-offenders-fraudsters-drug?utm_source=openai))