The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 17 individuals accused of serious offenses—including sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distributing drugs wholesale without a license.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
“When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences. Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters. Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to make sure U.S. citizenship is granted to those who truly deserve it.”
“American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “DHS will not stand idly by while Americans are harmed by criminals including sex offenders, perpetrators of fraud, and drug traffickers who have exploited our generosity and gamed our immigration system. We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.”
“We will not turn a blind eye to those who unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Anyone thinking they can defraud the naturalization process should think again. We will continue to pursue anyone who unlawfully or fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.”
Among those being deported is a former Catholic priest, Fernando Cristancho (Age 69/Colombia). Cristancho, an ordained Roman Catholic priest, entered the United States as a religious worker and then used his leadership position in the church to gain access to minor victims. In that capacity, Mr. Cristancho sexually groomed and abused a minor parishioner from when the victim was 11 to 13 years old. Mr. Cristancho later admitted to the crime—and egregious conduct involving other minor victims—and pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), resulting in a 22-year prison sentence. The denaturalization complaint filed against Mr. Cristancho charges that he hid his ongoing crime from immigration officials, thereby illegally procuring his naturalization by concealing material facts and willfully misrepresenting his unlawful sexual activity and by his inability to demonstrate the requisite good moral character in support of his application. (Park/Burley)
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