The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, December 30, that it has initiated audits of immigration cases involving naturalized American citizens of Somali origin. The stated goal is to detect potential fraud that could serve as grounds for denaturalization, or the revocation of citizenship.
Legal Grounds and Rare Proceedings
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin clarified the legal basis for the action in a statement. "Under U.S. law, if an individual procures citizenship on a fraudulent basis, that is grounds for denaturalization," she stated. The announcement was first reported by Fox News and subsequently shared by the White House on social media.
Denaturalization is an extremely rare legal process. According to data from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, authorities pursued an average of only about 11 such cases per year between 1990 and 2017. These complex proceedings can often take many years to resolve.
Part of a Broader Immigration Crackdown
This move aligns with the hardline immigration policy President Trump has pursued since taking office in January. His administration's approach has included aggressive deportation efforts, the revocation of visas and green cards, and increased screening of immigrants' social media posts and past speeches.
Federal officials have recently focused on Minnesota's Somali community, portraying it as a hotspot for fraud involving millions of dollars in federal funds intended for social services. In a related development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services separately announced on Tuesday that it has frozen all child care payments to Minnesota. The department now requires a justification and receipt or photo evidence for all future payments nationwide from its Administration for Children and Families.
Reactions and Escalating Scrutiny
Immigrant-rights advocates argue the administration is using fraud investigations as a pretext to target Somali immigrants more broadly. Human rights groups have widely condemned Trump's immigration policies, asserting they curtail fundamental rights like due process and free speech. The administration and its allies counter that these measures are necessary to improve domestic security.
The scrutiny appears to be intensifying. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on Sunday that the bureau has "surged" investigative resources and personnel to Minnesota. This marks the latest instance in a series of fraud investigations by the Trump administration that have specifically targeted the state's Somali immigrant population.
