Overview
- Federal prosecutors filed the civil complaints Friday in courts in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
- The cases name naturalized citizens accused of serious conduct, including Ali Yousif Ahmed linked by Iraq to murders as an alleged al‑Qaeda leader, Salah Osman Ahmed who pleaded guilty to aiding al‑Shabaab, Khalid Ouazzani who admitted support for al‑Qaeda, and ex‑priest Oscar Alberto Pelaez convicted of child sexual abuse.
- Denaturalization is a civil court process that requires clear, convincing, and unequivocal proof, and a loss of citizenship returns a person to their prior immigration status that can lead to deportation.
- The Justice Department says it has filed 35 denaturalization complaints and secured 15 court orders as of April, following a 2025 directive and large DHS referrals that aim to create a steady pipeline of cases.
- Officials say the drive protects the integrity of naturalization, while legal experts and immigrant advocates warn the scale and speed could unsettle millions of naturalized citizens.