Overview
- Federal prosecutors filed the new civil cases Friday in district courts in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
- The 12 naturalized citizens are accused of hiding serious conduct that includes support for terrorist groups, war crimes, child sexual abuse, sham marriages, identity fraud, and gun trafficking.
- Named cases include Ali Yousif Ahmed, whom Iraq accuses of murdering two police officers as an al‑Qaeda leader; Salah Osman Ahmed, who pleaded guilty in 2009 after joining al‑Shabaab; and Khalid Ouazzani, who admitted in 2010 to sending money to al‑Qaeda.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Civil Division head Brett Shumate said the push targets fraud and national‑security risks, as DOJ reporting shows roughly 35 complaints filed and about 15 court orders by April, with agencies encouraged since last summer to route up to 200 referrals a month.
- Denaturalization is a civil court process that requires “clear, convincing, and unequivocal” proof that citizenship was illegally obtained, and a successful case can strip citizenship and leave the person subject to deportation.