The Donald Trump administration has launched reviews of past citizenship cases involving Somali Americans, signalling a tougher immigration push that could lead to rare denaturalisation proceedings.
The
Trump administration has begun scrutinising past immigration cases involving Americans of
Somali origin, signalling a fresh escalation in its immigration enforcement agenda. Officials say the review is aimed at identifying instances of fraud in the citizenship process that could warrant revocation of nationality, a step that remains uncommon and legally complex.
The administration said on Tuesday that it was auditing immigration files to determine whether citizenship had been obtained through fraudulent means. “Under US law, if an individual procures citizenship on a fraudulent basis, that is grounds for denaturalization,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that was first reported by Fox News and reposted by the White House on social media.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Denaturalisation cases are rare and can take years to conclude. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, about 11 cases were pursued per year between 1990 and 2017.
More from World
Since taking office in January,
Trump has adopted a hardline approach to immigration, marked by an aggressive deportation drive, the revocation of visas and green cards, and the screening of immigrants’ social media posts and past speeches.
Minnesota focus and broader enforcement
Federal officials in recent weeks have described Minnesota’s Somali community as a centre of alleged fraud involving millions of federal dollars earmarked for social services. Immigrant-rights advocates argue that the administration is using these fraud investigations as a pretext to target Somali immigrants more broadly.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Sunday that the bureau has “surged” investigative resources and personnel to Minnesota, describing the move as part of the latest fraud investigations focused on the state’s Somali population.
Separately, the US Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday that it has frozen all child care payments to Minnesota. The department said that, going forward, all payments from its Administration for Children and Families nationwide “will