US Government Targets Naturalised Citizens in Major Denaturalisation Initiative

Denaturalisation Efforts Underway

A businessman of Indian descent is among 17 naturalised citizens in the United States facing potential loss of citizenship as part of a significant denaturalisation campaign initiated by the Trump administration. On June 8, the US Department of Justice revealed that it has commenced legal actions against these individuals, claiming they obtained their citizenship through fraudulent means, including the concealment of critical information and false statements during the naturalisation process.

This group comprises individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes such as child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, wire fraud, and immigration fraud. Neeraj Sharma, a 50-year-old entrepreneur from India and former CEO of New Jersey's Magnavision LLC, is one of those implicated. The Justice Department alleges that Sharma submitted 11 fraudulent H-1B visa applications, falsely claiming that foreign workers would be employed at a prominent global financial institution. Investigators assert that these applications contained forged signatures and fabricated documents.

Furthermore, it is alleged that when Sharma applied for US citizenship in 2017, he falsely claimed he had not committed any offenses for which he had not been arrested, had never provided misleading information to US authorities, and had not lied to gain immigration benefits. He was granted citizenship in December 2017 after his application was approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, he was later convicted in a visa fraud scheme involving activities from 2015 to 2017. The Justice Department is now pursuing the revocation of his citizenship, arguing that he concealed essential facts and misrepresented himself during the naturalisation process.

Sharma's case is part of a larger initiative by the US government aimed at naturalised citizens accused of serious misconduct. Alongside Sharma, 17 others have been convicted of violent crimes, offenses involving minors, fraud, and immigration-related violations.