Washington:
The United States is revoking the citizenship of 25 naturalised citizens, including an Indian-origin man, over allegations ranging from falsifying identity to attempted murder and child sexual abuse in one of its largest coordinated denaturalisation drives. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has accused 65-year-old Narinder Singh, a resident of the District of Delaware, of using a fraudulent identity to seek admission to the US.
According to the DoJ, Singh used two identities to gain admission to the US beginning in 1996 and naturalised as a US citizen on May 1, 2008. The complaint against him alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character.
17 Nations, 25 People
Two persons of Pakistani descent — Zia Murad Bhatti and Mohd Wasif — are also among the 25 persons against whom denaturalisation proceedings have been initiated for allegedly falsifying identity.
The complaints against these 25 individuals were filed between July 20 and August 3. The list also included naturalised US citizens from Moldova, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Jamaica, Taiwan, Honduras, Cameroon, Jordan, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti and Sweden.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
With 25 new cases, the Justice Department’s total denaturalisation filings have reached 123 since January 20, 2025, as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to strip citizenship from individuals it says obtained it unlawfully.
“US citizenship is one of our nation’s highest privileges, and it must be obtained lawfully and honestly,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
He claimed that the new complaints allege that these individuals secured naturalisation through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct — including by concealing violent crimes, sexual offences against children, fraudulent identities, and other disqualifying facts.
“Today’s filings represent the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in Department history, but they are only the beginning. The Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to protect the integrity of the naturalisation process and the safety of the American people,” Blanche added.
‘Rapists, Fraudsters’
The cases against these 25 individuals span a wide range of alleged conduct that, according to the Justice Department, should have disqualified the individuals from obtaining or keeping US citizenship.
The complaints involve allegations including attempted murder, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, marriage fraud, identity fraud, passport fraud, bank and credit card fraud, and practising medicine without a license, among other offences.
“Today marks the largest denaturalisation surge in recorded history,” said the Justice Department’s Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
