The Trump administration's renewed denaturalization push is targeting naturalized Americans accused of hiding serious crimes, fraud, or national security threats during the citizenship process. While the Justice Department has not released a full official list of all 12 people named in the latest wave of cases, several individuals have been publicly identified through court filings and DOJ announcements.
Victor Manuel Rocha
The former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia is one of the most high-profile names on the list. Prosecutors say Rocha secretly worked for Cuban intelligence for decades while serving inside the U.S. diplomatic corps. He pleaded guilty in 2024 to acting as an agent for Cuba.
The DOJ argues Rocha fraudulently obtained citizenship in 1978 because he was already allegedly working on behalf of the Cuban government at the time. Federal prosecutors called him one of the "most damaging" spies in modern U.S. history.
Hassan Sherjil Khan
Khan, a Pakistani-born physician from New York, was convicted of sexually exploiting a minor after authorities said he groomed an 11-year-old girl and later traveled overseas to abuse her.
According to the DOJ, Khan applied for U.S. citizenship while concealing the criminal conduct. He is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence.
Yu Zhou and Li Chen
The married California couple pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiracy and trade secret theft involving pediatric medical research from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio.
Federal prosecutors argued the crimes involved "moral turpitude," making them ineligible for naturalization. A federal judge agreed and revoked their citizenship earlier this year.
Emmanuel Oluwatosin Kazeem
Kazeem was accused by the DOJ of masterminding a multimillion-dollar tax fraud and identity theft scheme. Prosecutors say he concealed key criminal conduct during the naturalization process and should lose his citizenship as a result.
Other Individuals Identified by the DOJ
According to DOJ and court filings, the broader group of 12 cases includes naturalized citizens originally from countries including:
- Iraq
- Somalia
- Nigeria
- China
- Colombia
The allegations span terrorism support, war crimes, weapons trafficking, identity fraud, marriage fraud, murder and child sexual abuse. The Justice Department says many of the individuals concealed those activities while applying for citizenship.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration is "taking action to correct egregious violations" of the immigration system. Meanwhile, critics warn the expanded use of denaturalization could dramatically widen the government's power over naturalized citizens.
Federal law allows the government to revoke citizenship if prosecutors prove a person obtained naturalization through fraud or concealment of material facts. Historically, denaturalization cases were rare, averaging about 11 per year between 1990 and 2017.
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