From Navy veteran convicted of spying for China to convicted sex offenders: DOJ seeks to denaturalize 40 immigrants
According to the list published by the DOJ, 15 of the 40 defendants are from Latin American countries, accounting for 35% of the total. Mexico has the most cases on the list, with nine, followed by Pakistan, with four.
Todd Blanche, Attorney General / Lenin Nolly
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed denaturalization lawsuits against 40 individuals accused of serious crimes, including acting as an agent of a foreign government, first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault against a man with special needs. The complaints were filed between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2 and represent a record number of citizenship revocation lawsuits in a single period during the Trump administration.
This is a continuation of the crackdown announced by the DOJ in August, when it filed 25 denaturalization lawsuits.
Among the most serious cases highlighted by the DOJ is that of Jinchao Wei, a 26-year-old native of China who enlisted in the Navy in 2021. According to the agency, by February 2022 he was already conspiring to sell military secrets to China and obtained citizenship two months later, in May, through a law that expedites the naturalization of those serving in the Armed Forces. In August 2025, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage and the illegal export of defense technical data, and was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
Also listed is Ping Li, 61, from China, who, according to the DOJ, had been working since at least 2012 under the direction of China's Ministry of State Security to obtain information on dissidents, members of the Falun Gong movement, and U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations. In August 2024, he pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of China without notifying the Attorney General.
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Other defendants were convicted of sexual offenses against minors, voluntary homicide or tax and healthcare fraud. In addition, according to the agency, other cases involve immigration fraud, false identities, fraudulent marriages or the concealment of criminal records and prior deportation orders.
According to the DOJ's list, 15 of the 40 defendants are from Latin American countries, accounting for 35% of the total. Mexico has the most cases on the entire list, with nine, followed by Pakistan, with four. Cuba has two, and Colombia, Venezuela and Peru have one each.
"Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history. From an individual convicted of espionage to others convicted of sexual offenses against minors, these defendants concealed critical facts from the U.S. government and represent serious criminal offenders," Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a press release.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people," he added.
In turn, the Deputy Attorney General of the Civil Division, Brett Shumate, noted that "each of these individuals lied to obtain U.S. citizenship," he stated
How does the denaturalization process work?
Although rare, this process is governed by specific rules and procedures that were established more than 70 years ago, during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower.
The legal authority for this process is found in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This legislation establishes that the citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen may be revoked and the certificate of naturalization canceled if naturalization was obtained illegally, through the concealment of a relevant fact or through an intentional false statement.
The INA outlines two paths for the process: civil and criminal. In both cases, if the government obtains a favorable ruling, citizenship is revoked and the person in question reverts to their previous status, potentially leading to deportation proceedings. The ruling may be appealed to the federal courts of appeals and eventually to the Supreme Court.
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