Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of 17 Naturalized Americans Over Concealed Crimes
Washington, Monday, 8 June 2026.
In an unprecedented June 2026 push, the US Justice Department aims to strip citizenship from 17 individuals for concealing severe crimes, signaling strict new compliance risks for global businesses.
A Broadened Scope of Enforcement
On Monday, June 8, 2026, the United States Justice Department formally announced its move to strip citizenship from 17 naturalized individuals across the country [1][2]. The targeted individuals are accused of securing their naturalization through fraud or misrepresentation, deliberately concealing serious criminal histories that include illicit drug sales, sexual offenses, and financial fraud [2][3]. This latest legal action underscores a pronounced escalation in denaturalization efforts under President Donald Trump’s administration [1]. To contextualize this shift, the Justice Department under the previous Biden administration filed a total of 24 denaturalization cases during its tenure [1]. In contrast, the current administration has already surpassed that multi-year total within the last twelve months alone [1].
Financial Fraud and Corporate Implications
The economic scale of the crimes concealed by several of these individuals is substantial, involving complex financial schemes that defrauded institutions and investors of millions of dollars [3]. Leidys Delmas Garcia, a 54-year-old native of Cuba, admitted to orchestrating a health care fraud conspiracy through 30 physical therapy clinics in Florida [3]. Her operation falsely billed Blue Cross and Blue Shield for approximately $36,728,595 [3]. In a separate case, 49-year-old Talman Harris, originally from Jamaica, was convicted in 2016 for a wire and securities fraud conspiracy involving a stock manipulation scheme [3]. Between 2012 and 2014, Harris’s actions resulted in $39,000,000 in investor losses [3]. Combined, these two cases alone represent 75.729 million dollars in financial damages inflicted upon the private sector [3].
Severe Criminal Concealment and Identity Fraud
Beyond financial sector impacts, the denaturalization push heavily targets individuals who concealed egregious personal crimes [3]. Several of the 17 cases involve the sexual abuse of minors [1][3]. The Justice Department filed actions against individuals such as Jean Claude Alfred, a 68-year-old who sexually abused his minor daughter; Tahir Lekaj, a 43-year-old convicted in 2022 of abusing a 10-year-old child; and Fernando Cristancho, a 69-year-old former Roman Catholic priest currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a minor [3]. Further cases include Jheromell Obejera Arcilla, who concealed the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old relative, and Armando Mendoza, who pled guilty to receiving sexually explicit images of minors [3].
The Legal Machinery and Future Precedents
Denaturalization is historically a rare legal procedure that can only be executed in federal court [1]. In the past, the United States has revoked citizenship for reasons ranging from falsifying arrival dates to political affiliations, such as the review of pro-Nazi German Americans during World War II [1]. However, the current momentum, which included another move in May 2026 to denaturalize 12 individuals, indicates a systematic and highly active enforcement strategy [1]. The actions against the 17 individuals announced in June span across ten states, involving coordinated efforts from the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and various U.S. Attorney’s Offices [3].