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🇦🇷 Argentina /Elections & Politics

USCIS issues stark warning to migrants: Lying on a citizenship application is a serious crime

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Under investigation
  • USCIS warned that applicants who provide false information during the naturalization process could face criminal charges and immigration consequences.
  • The agency said it is working with the Justice Department to identify people who illegally obtained U.S. citizenship and pursue denaturalization cases.
  • ICE can cross-check federal records for crimes committed before naturalization, while possible penalties include prison, loss of citizenship and deportation.

“Lying in a citizenship application is a serious crime.” That warning from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services came with a sharper message for applicants seeking to obtain citizenship through false information.

In a post on X, USCIS said it is working with the Department of Justice to detect cases of fraud. The agency added: “Under the Trump administration, if you cheat to obtain U.S. citizenship, expect the consequences.”

Lying in a citizenship application is a serious crime.

· U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesUSCIS issued the warning in a post on X about false information in naturalization applications.

The warning comes as the administration increases scrutiny of the backgrounds of people applying for naturalization. The review examines whether applicants met the honesty requirements in their forms and interviews. Applicants answer questions under oath about their history and conduct, including crimes or infractions they committed even if they were never arrested. The questions can also cover sexual offenses and controlled-substance trafficking.

Under the Trump administration, if you cheat to obtain U.S. citizenship, expect the consequences.

· U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesThe agency linked its warning to the administration’s immigration policies.

USCIS said it is working with the DOJ to identify and hold accountable people who obtained citizenship illegally, including through denaturalization proceedings. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses digital tools and systems to compare records with other federal agencies. That process can uncover cases in which a person committed a crime before naturalization but received a conviction after becoming a citizen.

According to the authorities’ framework, such findings can lead to an investigation into naturalization fraud. ICE conducts those investigations with federal prosecutors, attorneys from its denaturalization program, the DOJ and USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. The reported consequences can include up to 10 years in prison, revocation of citizenship and possible deportation.

USCIS is working closely with the DOJ to identify, denaturalize and hold accountable those who illegally obtain U.S. citizenship.

· U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesThe agency described its cooperation with the Justice Department in fraud investigations.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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