The Trump administration has filed denaturalisation actions against 10 naturalised US citizens, including a Pakistan-born man accused of using multiple identities to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits, in what officials are calling the largest citizenship revocation effort in US history. The actions, announced on 21 July, were filed over the preceding 30 days by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Who Is Murtaza Ali and What He Is Accused Of

Murtaza Ali, 65, a native of Pakistan, is identified in the complaints as having filed multiple immigration applications under different aliases before obtaining permanent residency and subsequently US citizenship in 2009 under the name 'Muhammad Iqbal'. Federal authorities said fingerprint analysis later established that applications submitted under distinct identities belonged to the same individual.

Ali reportedly pleaded guilty in 2014 to making false material statements to a US government agency, after admitting he had filed three separate immigration benefit applications using three different identities. On 14 July, the United States filed a four-count denaturalisation action against him in the Northern District of Texas, alleging he procured citizenship through immigration fraud, unlawful acts reflecting adversely on his moral character, false testimony during the naturalisation process, and concealment of material facts.

What the Government Said

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said: 'When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your US citizenship. These criminal aliens, comprised of drug traffickers, pedophiles, and fraudsters, lost that right and exploited our immigration system — harming real US citizens. DHS is committed to ensuring we denaturalize and remove these fraudsters with every tool at our disposal.'

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: 'These ten criminal aliens — including child sex abusers, a nearly $900,000 Medicare fraudster, and a cocaine trafficker — lied their way into US citizenship. Each of these individuals lacked the good moral character required by law and procured citizenship through willful misrepresentations and concealment of their crimes. Under President Trump's leadership, this Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue denaturalization to restore integrity to America's naturalization process.'

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate signalled that the effort would widen considerably. 'We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship,' he said. 'We've only scratched the surface — many more complaints are coming.'

The Other Nine Cases

The remaining nine individuals are nationals of Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Poland. The allegations span Medicare fraud, child sexual abuse, identity fraud, wire fraud, and cocaine trafficking. Complaints have been filed in federal district courts across the country. The government stressed that these are allegations only, and no determination of liability has yet been made.

Context and What Comes Next

This is the first large-scale, publicly announced denaturalisation sweep of the Trump administration's current term, and officials have framed it as a precedent-setting exercise. Historically, denaturalisation proceedings in the United States have been relatively rare, making the administration's stated intent to file 'many more complaints' a significant policy escalation. Critics of aggressive denaturalisation efforts have previously argued that such powers, if applied broadly, risk creating a two-tiered citizenship system. The administration has not yet detailed a timeline for subsequent complaint batches, but Shumate's remarks suggest further announcements are imminent.