The U.S. Department of Justice has filed denaturalization complaints against 40 naturalized Americans in what it describes as the largest single-period filing of its kind under the Trump administration. The cases involve allegations ranging from espionage and acting as an agent for a foreign government to sexual offenses, financial crimes, identity fraud and fraudulent marriages.

The filings do not mean that the 40 individuals have automatically lost their U.S. citizenship. The Justice Department has initiated civil proceedings in federal courts, and the allegations contained in the complaints have not themselves established liability. The outcome of each case will depend on the evidence and the individual court proceedings.

DOJ Announces 40 Denaturalization Complaints

The Justice Department announced the cases on October 5, 2026, saying the complaints were filed between August 21 and October 2 across 19 federal judicial districts.

The department described the filings as the largest volume of denaturalization complaints submitted during a single period under the Trump administration. The cases concern naturalized citizens whom the government alleges obtained citizenship through unlawful means, including by concealing information or making material misrepresentations during immigration or naturalization proceedings.

Attorney General Todd Blanche described the government’s position on the cases by saying:

“Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” Blanche said.

He continued:

“From an individual convicted of espionage to others convicted of sexual offenses against minors, these defendants concealed critical facts from the U.S. government and represent serious criminal offenders. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people.”

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division also defended the department’s approach.

“Every single one of these individuals lied their way into U.S. citizenship.”

Shumate added:

“This administration will continue to pursue the largest denaturalization effort in department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship. Our message is clear: the United States will not tolerate deception in the naturalization process.”

Those statements represent the Justice Department’s position regarding the cases. The department itself says that the claims made in the complaints are allegations and that there has been no determination of liability.

Another DOJ Legal Enforcement Case
The denaturalization filings are part of a broader stream of high-profile Justice Department enforcement actions attracting national attention in 2026. For another recent DOJ case involving a major federal settlement, explore our TikTok DOJ children’s privacy settlement report.

What Is Denaturalization and When Can Citizenship Be Revoked?

Denaturalization is the legal process through which the government seeks to revoke citizenship that was obtained through naturalization.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a federal court can revoke a naturalization order and cancel a certificate of naturalization when citizenship was illegally procured or obtained through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.

The legal framework is important because a naturalized citizen does not automatically lose citizenship simply because they later commit a serious crime.

Instead, the government’s case generally needs to establish a legal basis for revoking the naturalization itself. In the current complaints, the DOJ generally alleges that the individuals were legally ineligible to naturalize, failed to satisfy requirements for naturalization or concealed or misrepresented information relevant to the citizenship process.

Federal law provides for the government to bring denaturalization proceedings in federal district court.

The Supreme Court has also imposed significant requirements on denaturalization cases, including the need for a material connection between a misrepresentation and the acquisition of citizenship.

That makes the distinction between criminal conduct and unlawful procurement of citizenship central to understanding the latest cases.

The 40 Cases at a Glance

Detail	Information
DOJ announcement	October 5, 2026
Number of complaints	40
Filing period	August 21–October 2, 2026
Federal judicial districts	19
Type of proceedings	Civil denaturalization cases
Allegations include	Espionage, foreign-agent activity, voluntary manslaughter, sexual offenses, money laundering, securities fraud, identity fraud and fraudulent marriages
Citizenship status	Filing a complaint does not automatically revoke citizenship
Final outcome	To be determined through individual court proceedings

Jinchao Wei Case Brings National Security Into Focus

Among the cases highlighted by the Justice Department is Jinchao Wei, a former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of espionage-related offenses.

According to the DOJ, Wei became involved in a conspiracy to sell U.S. military information to China in 2022. He was naturalized that year through a process connected to his military service.

The department alleges that Wei concealed relevant information and therefore obtained citizenship unlawfully.

After the alleged espionage scheme was discovered, Wei was arrested and convicted in August 2025 of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage and unlawful export of technical data related to defense articles. The DOJ says he was sentenced to 200 months in prison and discharged from the Navy.

The department’s denaturalization complaint alleges that his citizenship was illegally procured, including through concealment or material misrepresentations during his naturalization proceedings.

Another national-security-related case concerns Ping Li.

The DOJ alleges that, beginning at least as early as 2012, Li worked at the direction of officers of China’s Ministry of State Security and obtained information concerning Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement and U.S.-based nongovernmental organisations.

The department also alleges that Li provided sensitive information obtained through his employment to Chinese intelligence officials.

Li pleaded guilty in August 2024 to acting as an agent of China without notifying the U.S. attorney general, according to the DOJ. The denaturalization complaint against him was filed October 1 in the Middle District of Florida.

Sexual Offenses and Other Criminal Cases

The complaints also include cases involving sexual offenses.

The DOJ cited Javier Marrero-Pando, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to aggravated sodomy involving a special-needs man. The department alleges that information concerning the offense was concealed during his naturalization proceedings and is seeking to revoke his citizenship.

Other complaints concern people accused or convicted of offenses involving minors. In those cases, the government alleges that criminal conduct occurred before naturalization but was concealed during the citizenship process.

The fact that a person was convicted of a crime is therefore presented in these cases alongside the government’s separate allegation that the conduct or relevant information affected the person’s eligibility for naturalization.

Money Laundering and Securities Fraud Cases

Financial crimes also appear among the 40 complaints.

Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia entered the United States in 2007 and became a citizen in 2018. According to the DOJ, she later admitted during criminal proceedings that she became involved in an illegal enterprise before becoming a citizen.

She was convicted in 2020 of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The government alleges that her criminal conduct and false testimony during naturalization prevented her from meeting the requirements for citizenship.

Another case involves Andrew Coldicutt, a Canadian-born naturalized citizen who was later convicted of securities fraud, false securities registration statements and wire fraud.

The DOJ alleges that Coldicutt falsely represented during his naturalization process that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested and had never provided false or misleading information to a U.S. government official.

The department is seeking to revoke his naturalization based on alleged illegal procurement and alleged concealment or willful misrepresentation.

Identity and Marriage Fraud Are Also Among the Allegations

The filings include several cases involving immigration or identity-related allegations.

The DOJ alleges that Assad Jhon Ramim, an Afghan-born naturalized citizen, used the identity of another Afghan national for nearly three decades.

According to the complaint, he obtained immigration benefits and ultimately citizenship under the identity Ahmad Shah Kohistani before changing his name to Assad Jhon Ramim during his naturalization process.

The government alleges that the identity fraud made his citizenship illegally procured.

The department also filed a case involving Ramon Navarro, a Filipino-born naturalized citizen accused of entering a fraudulent marriage to obtain lawful permanent resident status before using that status to obtain citizenship while allegedly making false representations to immigration officials.

Another case concerns Ahmed Khan, a 73-year-old Pakistan-born naturalized citizen. The DOJ alleges that Khan obtained a fraudulent death certificate for his still-living Pakistani wife before marrying a U.S. citizen. The government says he later failed to disclose his existing marriage during his naturalization process.

DOJ Has Increased Denaturalization Filings Since 2025

The October cases are part of a broader increase in denaturalization proceedings under the current administration.

On August 3, the Justice Department announced 25 additional denaturalization complaints and said that, since January 20, 2025, it had filed approximately 123 civil denaturalization complaints, which it described as the most in recorded history.

The department said those cases involved people accused of concealing violent crimes, sexual offenses against children, fraudulent identities and other disqualifying information.

The DOJ had also announced smaller groups of denaturalization cases earlier in 2026.

In June 2025, the Civil Division made denaturalization one of its top enforcement priorities and directed attorneys to pursue such proceedings where permitted by law and supported by evidence. The policy identified national security threats, terrorism, espionage, torture, war crimes and human rights violations among its priority categories, while also allowing for cases involving other qualifying misconduct.

The policy therefore represents an increased use of an existing legal mechanism rather than the creation of a new government power.

Why the Current Filing Pace Is Significant

Denaturalization has historically been relatively uncommon.

The National Immigration Forum reported that the DOJ filed 305 denaturalization cases between 1990 and 2017, an average of about 11 cases per year. It also notes that denaturalization cases increased during both the first Trump administration and the Biden administration.

The Migration Policy Institute has similarly described denaturalization as historically rare, reporting that fewer than 150 people were denaturalized between 1967 and 2017. Historically, cases often involved war criminals, national security threats and other extreme circumstances.

The institute reported in June 2026 that the Trump administration was seeking to broaden the use of denaturalization beyond that narrower historical focus.

Immigration advocates and legal experts have raised concerns about the potential consequences of a broader approach, including uncertainty for naturalized Americans and questions about how broadly the government should interpret mistakes or omissions in immigration applications.

The Justice Department, meanwhile, has presented the cases as an effort to address citizenship that it says was obtained through fraud, concealment or other unlawful conduct.

These are competing perspectives on the scope and implications of the policy, while the legal merits of the individual cases remain for the courts to determine.

Filing a Complaint Does Not Mean Citizenship Has Already Been Revoked

The most important procedural point is that the 40 individuals have not automatically lost their citizenship because of the DOJ’s announcement.

The Justice Department has filed civil complaints seeking denaturalization. The department expressly states that the claims contained in the complaints are allegations and that there has been no determination of liability.

The defendants can contest the government’s allegations in federal court.

If the government establishes the required grounds, a court can revoke the naturalization order and cancel the person’s certificate of naturalization. Federal law provides that such a revocation can be effective as of the original date of the naturalization order.

This distinguishes denaturalization from ordinary criminal punishment. A conviction does not, by itself, automatically cancel a person’s naturalized citizenship. The government must establish a legal basis for revoking the naturalization.

What Happens Next?

For the 40 individuals named in the latest complaints, the next steps will depend on the individual cases.

The government will have to establish the legal grounds it has alleged, while defendants have the opportunity to contest the claims in federal court.

The broader policy question is separate from those individual proceedings. The Trump administration has made denaturalization a more prominent part of federal immigration enforcement, while immigration advocates and legal experts have raised concerns about the implications of expanding its use.

The courts will ultimately determine whether the government’s allegations satisfy the legal requirements for denaturalization in each case.

Conclusion

The Justice Department’s October 5 announcement marks a significant increase in the use of denaturalization under the Trump administration, with 40 civil complaints filed between August 21 and October 2 across 19 federal judicial districts.

The cases involve a wide range of allegations, including espionage, acting as an agent for a foreign government, sexual offenses, money laundering, securities fraud, identity fraud and fraudulent marriages. The DOJ says the individuals concealed information, made material misrepresentations or otherwise obtained citizenship unlawfully.

At the same time, the filings should not be confused with completed citizenship revocations. The complaints are civil proceedings, the department’s claims remain allegations unless established in court, and each case will ultimately depend on its own evidence and legal circumstances.

The latest filings also form part of a much larger increase in denaturalization activity since January 20, 2025. Whether the individual cases result in denaturalization will now be determined through the federal court process.

Another Major Washington Legal Dispute
The denaturalization cases are also unfolding amid a broader series of consequential legal and political disputes involving the Trump administration. For another recent Washington story involving federal legislation and the administration, see our Kennedy Center demolition protection bill coverage.

Source and Research Disclaimer

This article was prepared using the source material provided for this story, including U.S. Department of Justice announcements, federal law, National Immigration Forum and Migration Policy Institute material, Associated Press reporting and The Hill. The article reflects the information and allegations contained in those sources and does not present allegations as established facts. The DOJ’s denaturalization complaints have not, by themselves, revoked the citizenship of the individuals named, and the outcome of each case remains subject to the applicable federal court proceedings.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Justice: 40 denaturalization cases announced October 5, 2026
• U.S. Department of Justice: August 2026 denaturalization filings and 123-case figure
• 8 U.S. Code § 1451: Revocation of naturalization
• National Immigration Forum: Denaturalization Fact Sheet
• Migration Policy Institute: Denaturalization in the Trump Era
• Associated Press: What the Justice Department’s denaturalization push means
• The Hill: DOJ files record number of denaturalization cases

Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)