The United States Government has formalised efforts to revoke U.S. citizenship from certain naturalised citizens.
A memo issued by the United States Justice Department on June 11 directed government attorneys to prioritise civil proceedings that strip citizenship from individuals who allegedly obtained it illegally or by lying during the process or are charged with crimes.
The directive focuses on using civil proceedings to revoke citizenship in cases involving war crimes, extrajudicial killings, human rights abuses, terrorism, and individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States.
The memo said: “The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a US passport.
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“The Civil Division shall prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.”
At the heart of the move are about 25 million U.S. citizens who were born abroad but became Americans through naturalisation.
The memo outlines 10 priority categories for denaturalization, including individuals involved in war crimes, human rights abuses, gang activity, or those convicted of crimes deemed to pose an ongoing threat to the US.
At least one individual has already been stripped of United States citizenship in recent weeks after a conviction, international media reported.
According to the DOJ, the person had been found guilty of collecting and distributing child sexual abuse material.
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