The DOJ is taking steps to revoke the citizenship of 17 people accused of various crimes

The Department of Justice announced on Monday that it will revoke the citizenship of 17 people who are suspected of obtaining birth permits through fraud or deception.

These people, from 13 different countries, are accused of serious crimes, including child sexual abuse, drug trafficking and serious financial fraud.

Almost all of these people are reported to have lied during the naturalization process, saying that they had not committed crimes that the authorities were not aware of, allegations that were found to be false or misleading. By making the false statements, the officials say they failed to meet the legal requirement of “good character” for US citizenship under federal law.

“Acquiring American citizenship is a right and under President Trump’s strong leadership, the Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of this program,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

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“American citizenship is a right, and it should be earned honestly. If you come here and break our laws, and you lie in your immigration process, you lose that right,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

According to the release, the suspects are middle-aged and middle-aged to elderly, aged from 39 to 69, and come from 13 countries around the world.

Nine were from the Caribbean and North America, including Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico. Two were from Colombia in South America. One was from Europe which was Yugoslavia. Three were from Asia, including India, China and the Philippines, and two were from Africa, including Somalia and Congo.

Officials said that most of the applicants were asked under oath if they had committed a crime for which they had not been arrested. According to the authorities, most of the people are suspected to have given false statements during their interviews, allowing their applications to be accepted.

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Immigrants take the oath of citizenship in the United States during a citizenship ceremony at Liberty State Park on September 19, 2014, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (John Moore/Getty Images)

The most common crime accused among the suspect is child sexual abuse. Six out of 17 people – about 35% – were identified for child sex crimes, including statutory rape and receiving pornographic images involving children.

Another notable case involved a Roman Catholic priest who allegedly used his position of trust to groom and molest a child.

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The logo of the US Department of Justice is displayed on a platform before a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on May 6, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Fraud cases also involve large, multi-million dollar schemes.

One case allegedly involved $54 million in securities and wire fraud. Another focused on $36.7 million in fraudulent claims billed to Blue Cross Blue Shield for bogus physical therapy clinics. In a separate case, a man was accused of using inherited money tied to a Colombian drug cartel to finance a real estate transaction, and another defendant was also accused of stealing millions from a Florida state casino.

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Several people are suspected of falsifying their IDs in order to evade the immigration system, the Department of Justice said. Four people are accused of using false names, misrepresenting marital status to US citizens, or reapplying multiple times under completely different identities after previous denials.

Another woman allegedly got a fake name after being rejected in 1995. Authorities say he was finally identified after the government subpoenaed old fingerprint records, which linked his current identity to an earlier, dismissed application.