Trump Government Intensifies Offensive to Revoke US Citizenships

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a new offensive to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalized individuals. The civil lawsuits were filed between August 21 and October 2 in various federal courts across the country, as part of a campaign to expand the use of denaturalization. The government alleges that these individuals obtained citizenship fraudulently, by concealing crucial information.

The Largest Denaturalization Offensive of the Trump Era

The 40 lawsuits involve citizens of over twenty nationalities, and according to Attorney General Todd Blanche, this announcement marks “the largest denaturalization effort in modern history.” Accusations include espionage, homicide, sex offenses, tax and immigration fraud, sham marriages, and the use of false identities. It is important to note that the 40 individuals retain their citizenship while the cases are resolved, as the lawsuits contain allegations that still need to be reviewed by the courts.

This strategy by the Department of Justice has accelerated in recent months. In June, lawsuits were filed against 17 naturalized citizens, and in July, another 10. On August 3, the government stated it had filed 123 civil denaturalization cases since Trump's return to the White House, a number that, at the time, was classified as the highest recorded until then.

Espionage and National Security Cases

Among the accused are two individuals of Chinese origin identified by the government for espionage. One is Jinchao Wei, who joined the U.S. Navy in 2021 and obtained citizenship in May 2022 through a procedure that facilitates the naturalization of Armed Forces members. According to the Department of Justice, Wei had begun conspiring to deliver military information to China months before naturalizing. He was found guilty in August 2025.

The second case is that of Ping Li, who already pleaded guilty in 2024 to acting as an agent of the Chinese government without notifying authorities. According to the Department of Justice, Li provided information to the Chinese Ministry of State Security about dissidents, pro-democracy activists, and organizations established in the United States.

Immigration Fraud and False Identities

Several lawsuits focus on identity and immigration fraud. Venezuelan Johyce Martinez, for example, is accused of having entered the U.S. in 2006 using a false Cuban birth certificate. With that identity, she obtained permanent residency and, subsequently, citizenship in 2013, without meeting the legal requirements. Another case is that of Gume Roberto Garza from Mexico, who allegedly used the identity of an American citizen to obtain a driver's license and concealed this fact and criminal record during his naturalization.

Gilberto Barraza, also Mexican, is accused of having entered illegally in 1987 and, in 1992, applied for an American passport falsely claiming to have been born in the U.S., using a fake birth certificate. He naturalized in 2008 after marrying an American citizen, concealing the passport fraud. Cases like those of Consuela Gracia de Rodríguez and José Villarreal Ortiz, both Mexican, also involve lies about family identities and false narratives to obtain residency and citizenship.

Accusations of Serious Crimes

The list of accusations covers a series of serious crimes. Norma Patricia Esparza, from Mexico, is accused of having concealed her participation in events for which she was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Colombian Yusmary Shirley Durán Mejía is cited for having naturalized in 2018, despite already being involved in a money laundering scheme, a fact she later admitted. British Iain Lumsden was convicted of transporting child pornography, and the government maintains that he concealed this conduct during the citizenship process.

Other cases include accusations of child sexual abuse, such as those involving Ramiro Escot Esparza, Javier Marrero-Pando, José Ramiro Montiel Carrasco, Raúl Cisneros, and Juan José Egusquiza-Vásquez, all of whom are Latino. Lázaro Eduardo Trujillo Vitón, from Cuba, is accused of having concealed his participation in a healthcare fraud conspiracy against the American healthcare system. Hernán García Toledo, from Mexico, allegedly lied about arrests and criminal convictions during his naturalization process.

Current Status of the Proceedings

It is crucial to emphasize that the 40 individuals mentioned in the lawsuits still retain their citizenship. The proceedings are civil in nature, and the accusations must be resolved in federal courts. The lawsuits filed by the Department of Justice contain allegations and do not imply that a court has already ordered the loss of nationality for any of the individuals.

With information from EL PAÍS, Univision, Infobae.