The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it’s begun the process of denaturalizing 12 citizens who obtained citizenship by concealing their crimes.
According to a DOJ press release, the 12 hid crimes such as “providing material support to a terrorist group, committing war crimes, and sexually abusing a minor.”
TODAY: Justice Department filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 12 individuals accused of serious offenses including:
Providing material support to a terrorist group
“The Trump administration… pic.twitter.com/XsDjJGjzvt
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) May 8, 2026
“Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized as United States citizens,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
“The Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system. Those who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalization process will face the fullest extent of the law,” he added.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate added that the DOJ intends to continue “to file denaturalization actions at record speeds to restore integrity in our naturalization process.”
“The disturbing criminal histories confirm these individuals should have never received the privilege of U.S. citizenship,” Shumate continued. “We remain committed to leveraging every tool available under the law to pursue those who obtain their U.S. citizenship unlawfully.”
Among those chosen for denaturalization was Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, a 48-year-old former Iraqi who gained entry into the U.S.in 2009 by claiming that his family had been attacked by al-Qaeda.
However, ten years later, in 2019, the Iraqi government requested his extradition to face charges pertaining to the 2006 murder of two Iraqi police officers and claimed that he was, in fact, a former al-Qaeda leader.
MSM BLACKOUT: JIHAD TERROR ALERT
Former Al-Qaeda Terrorist, Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, was arrested in Arizona for Murders of Iraqi Police
Al-Nouri came to the US as an Iraqi refugee in 2008
Meanwhile, GOP TRAITOR, Doug Ducey, just announced Arizona Will Accept MORE ‘Refugees’ pic.twitter.com/hXZ8tDhrfb
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) February 4, 2020
The next target for denaturalization, 75-year-old Oscar Alberto Pelaez, is a former Colombian Roman Catholic priest who sexually abused a child from 1998 to 2000.
“In 2002, Mr. Pelaez pleaded guilty to and was convicted of thirteen counts of sexual assault against a child, including two counts of oral copulation with a person under eighteen years of age, and two counts of sodomy of a person under eighteen years of age,” the DOJ notes.
Yet when he applied for citizenship, Pelaez mentioned none of this.
Another target, 48-year-old Khalid Ouazzani, became a U.S. citizen in 2005 after being born in Morocco. But like the others, he too lied when he applied for citizenship.
“[A]s early as 2003, Khalid was planning—with two men later convicted of trying to bomb the New York Stock exchange—ways to support Al‑Qaida,” the DOJ notes.
His terrorist ways continued even after he became a citizen, with Ouazzani sending al-Qaeda tens of thousands in financial support in 2007. The following year, he swore an allegiance to al-Qaeda.
“The denaturalization complaint filed against Ouazzani alleges that he gave false testimony during his naturalization proceedings about his attachment to the Constitution and because his affiliation and membership with Al-Qaida within five years of his naturalization constitutes prima facie evidence that when he naturalized, he lacked the requisite attachment to the Constitution,” the DOJ notes.
JUST IN: The Trump Justice Department is OFFICIALLY moving to denaturalize SWATHS of *US citizens* who either committed fraud, are tied to terrorism or committed other crimes — CBS
LFG! I voted for this!
They are from places like SOMALIA, India, Iraq, Kenya, Morocco,… pic.twitter.com/bGeJZbpBd7
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 8, 2026
The left appears unhappy that these terrorists are being targeted.
The New York Times quoted Cassandra Burke Robertson, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, saying that these 12 cases “represent a significant escalation in the government’s denaturalization efforts.”
“The sheer volume in such a compressed time frame is historically unusual and suggests a coordinated, deliberate strategy rather than routine enforcement,” she added.
The Times also procured a quote from Amanda Baran, a former Biden administration official.
“For decades the number of denaturalization cases filed per year has been miniscule due to the gravity of this action,” Baran said. “This heavy-handed approach yet again demonstrates how the Trump administration is using the law as a cudgel to intimidate and mislead the public.”
