How secure is your citizenship? Man faces possible deportation for arrest that took place after naturalization.
A convicted sex offender in Wake County, N.C. has been charged with fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship for his arrest after becoming a citizen. What differentiates this case is of fraudulently obtaining citizenship, is that the arrest took place after naturalization, rather than simply for having lied about past deeds before obtaining it.
Under U.S. law, citizenship can be revoked — denaturalization can occur — when someone lies or conceals material facts in their naturalization application. If it turns out that the person didn’t disclose relevant criminal history, that is grounds for revocation. But this case goes a step further. The man became a citizen in 2022, but the arrest and conviction in question happened in 2023 – after the naturalization, which raises novel legal questions. Can a future conviction lead to loss of citizenship when it occurred after application? More specifically; does the law allow citizenship to be stripped for post-naturalization convictions? It is a question FAC first posed several months ago.
In this case, prosecutors argue that even though the arrest was in 2023, the sexual crime took place as early as 2019 – prior the the man becoming a citizen. Regardless, this case could open up a whole new dimension in immigration and citizenship law enforcement. For registrants, naturalized citizens, and anyone interested in due process, this could shift the line between what is protected versus what can prompt denaturalization. Will this standard be applied more broadly and is there a risk of misuse? Can citizenship be revoked for arrests after naturalization? Or will it be contained narrowly to cases actually involving fraud in the original application?
Either way, this Wake County case could reshape how citizenship is safeguarded — and how vulnerable it might be when someone later runs afoul of the law.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The questionnaire also asks if the person is fleeing prosecution or wanted for prosecution in a criminal matter. So this one will greatly depend on whether the crime was known about by prosecutors at the time of naturalization. It’s a real iffy situation.
To be honest if your on the registry in places like Florida where its for life i would think being deported to a place where you can live free from what is associated with the registry would be a dream come true. I lived in Ukraine a year before the fighting started and i have to tell you it was the greatest time of my life.
I agree with your statement. Unless the person is being deported to Cuba or Venezuela, this is a blessing in disguise. I wonder how Angel Watch will react to this. If the person belongs to a country in Central or South America, are these countries going to let him in. I supposed he could use his actual birthright citizenship to get in. But in my experience many of these people stop renewing their native passports because of naturalization. Definitely an interesting case to watch.
Trump is threatening to strip Rosie O’Donnell of her citizenship, so it’s not a stretch to fear he’ll go after registrants.
Anyone with a criminal history is going to be subject to government intrusion under this administration. I have a feeling registered persons are going to be top of the list once they’re done with the immigrant population.