The Department of Justice just filed denaturalization actions against 12 naturalized individuals accused of everything from murder to terrorism to child sexual abuse — and if you're wondering why this wasn't happening before, congratulations, you've been paying attention.
You lied your way in, you committed crimes, and now you're getting kicked out. That's not controversial. That's common sense.
According to Townhall, the cases were filed on May 8-9, 2026, and they read like a greatest hits album of people who never should have been allowed to raise their right hand. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche didn't mince words: "Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized."
Let's run through a few of these winners, shall we?
Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 48, from Iraq — allegedly murdered two Iraqi police officers as an Al-Qaeda leader. He lied about his criminal history on his naturalization application. Filed in the District of Arizona.
Oscar Alberto Pelaez, 75, from Colombia — sexually abused a child from 1998 to 2000 and pleaded guilty in 2002 to 13 counts of sexual assault. He concealed those crimes when he applied for citizenship. Thirteen counts.
Khalid Ouazzani, 48, from Morocco — naturalized in 2006 and by 2007 was sending Al-Qaeda tens of thousands of dollars. He pleaded guilty in May 2010 to bank fraud, money laundering, and material support to terrorism. The ink on his citizenship certificate was barely dry.
Salah Osman Ahmed, 43, from Somalia — naturalized in 2007 and joined al-Shabaab months later. Pleaded guilty on July 28, 2009 to providing material support to terrorists. He literally used American citizenship as a launching pad for jihad.
Baboucarr Mboob, 58, from Gambia — executed six officers on November 11, 1994 as military police. Entered the U.S. in 2002, naturalized in 2011, and then admitted his involvement on April 9, 2019 to the Gambian Truth Commission. Welcome to America, here's your citizenship, oh by the way you're a mass murderer. Fantastic.
Then there's Victor Manuel Rocha, 75, from Colombia — convicted as an unregistered Cuban agent who began spying in 1973. He naturalized in 1978 and falsely swore under penalty of perjury about his Communist affiliation. The man was a literal spy for a Communist dictatorship. For over 50 years.
Debashis Ghosh, 62, from India, conspired to defraud investors of $2.5 million and naturalized in 2012 while claiming he had no criminal history. Pin He, 53, from China, was ordered removed under the name "Chun Di He" in 1992, then applied under a completely different identity in 1993. George Oyakhire, 66, from Nigeria, used the false identity "Oliver Bennett Oyakhire" to obtain temporary resident status on September 2, 1988.
You get the picture. Fraud on top of fraud on top of violent crime.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the DOJ "continues to file denaturalization actions at record speeds to restore integrity in our naturalization process." Record speeds. Because the previous administration's speed was somewhere between "glacial" and "actively looking the other way."
All 12 cases are being prosecuted under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows denaturalization when citizenship was illegally procured or obtained through concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentation. The cases span U.S. Attorneys' offices from Arizona to Southern Florida to Eastern California to Minnesota and beyond, with the Justice Department's Office of Immigration Litigation coordinating alongside USCIS.
This is the system finally working the way it was always supposed to. You don't get to commit murder in Iraq, lie about it on a government form, and then spend the rest of your life collecting the benefits of American citizenship. You don't get to fund Al-Qaeda with American dollars and keep your American passport.
Twelve down. However many more are out there, the DOJ is coming.