WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) – The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it was conducting audits on immigration cases involving U.S. citizens of Somali descent to uncover potential fraud that could result in denaturalization or loss of citizenship.
“Under U.S. law, if an individual obtains citizenship through fraudulent means, it is grounds for denaturalization,” stated Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement initially reported by Fox News and later reposted by the White House on social media. Denaturalization cases are infrequent and can be lengthy. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an average of 11 cases per year were pursued between 1990 and 2017.
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Critics of Trump’s policies, including human rights groups, argue that they restrict rights such as due process and free speech. Trump and his supporters claim that the policies are intended to enhance national security.
In recent weeks, federal officials have targeted Minnesota’s Somali community, alleging widespread fraud involving millions of federal funds designated for social services. Advocates for immigrant rights suggest that the administration is using these fraud investigations as a pretext to target Somali immigrants more broadly.
FBI Director Kash Patel recently confirmed that the bureau has deployed additional investigative resources and personnel to Minnesota as part of the Trump administration’s intensified fraud investigations focusing on the state’s Somali population.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday that it has halted all child care payments to Minnesota and will now require justification and evidence before disbursing funds to any state.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Michael Perry)
