Indian-origin man among 25 in US's largest citizenship revocation push

The United States Department of Justice has initiated denaturalisation proceedings against 25 naturalised citizens, including an Indian-origin man, for allegedly securing citizenship through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct. The cases, filed between July 20 and August 3, represent what the department calls the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in its history.

Among those named is 65-year-old Narinder Singh, a resident of Delaware, who is accused of using a fraudulent identity to gain admission to the United States. According to the complaint, Singh used two identities to enter the U.S. beginning in 1996 and was naturalised as a citizen on May 1, 2008. The complaint alleges seven counts of misrepresentation and unlawful acts that adversely reflect on his moral character.

The list also includes two individuals of Pakistani descent—Zia Murad Bhatti and Mohd Wasif—for allegedly falsifying their identities. In total, the 25 individuals are natives of 17 countries: Pakistan, Moldova, India, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Jamaica, Taiwan, Honduras, Cameroon, Jordan, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, and Sweden.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on Monday, August 3, 2026, “U.S. citizenship is one of our nation's highest privileges, and it must be obtained lawfully and honestly. The complaints announced today allege that these individuals secured naturalisation through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct—including by concealing violent crimes, sexual offences against children, fraudulent identities, and other disqualifying facts.”

The allegations span a wide range of serious offences, including attempted murder, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, marriage fraud, identity fraud, passport fraud, bank and credit card fraud, and practising medicine without a licence. The Justice Department argues that such conduct should have disqualified these individuals from obtaining or retaining U.S. citizenship.

Blanche added, “Today's filings represent the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in Department history, but they are only the beginning. The Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to protect the integrity of the naturalisation process and the safety of the American people.”

The latest cases bring the department's total denaturalisation filings to 123 since January 20, 2025, under the current administration's intensified efforts to strip citizenship from those who obtained it unlawfully. Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, described the move as “the largest denaturalisation surge in recorded history.”

Denaturalisation is a legal process that revokes citizenship from individuals who are found to have obtained it improperly. These proceedings are civil in nature and require proof of fraud or concealment during the naturalisation process. The individuals named in the complaints will have the opportunity to contest the allegations in court.