An Indian-born businessman is among 17 naturalised Americans targeted in what the Trump administration says is one of the largest denaturalisation efforts in US history, marking a significant expansion of the government’s use of citizenship revocation proceedings.
The US Department of Justice announced that it had filed denaturalisation actions against 17 foreign-born Americans accused of obtaining citizenship through fraud, concealment or material misrepresentation. The group includes individuals convicted of offences ranging from visa fraud and wire fraud to child sexual abuse and drug-related crimes.
Among those named is Neeraj Sharma, a 50-year-old India-born entrepreneur and former CEO of New Jersey-based staffing company Magnavision LLC.
Who Is Neeraj Sharma?
According to the Justice Department, Neeraj Sharma owned and operated Magnavision LLC, a staffing company that filed H-1B visa petitions on behalf of foreign workers. Federal prosecutors alleged that Neeraj Sharma submitted 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions claiming the workers would be employed by a major global financial institution. Authorities said that the applications included forged executive signatures and fabricated supporting documents. The Justice Department contends that the fraud occurred between 2015 and 2017.
Why Is US Government Seeking To Revoke His Citizenship?
The government’s case centres on statements Neeraj Sharma allegedly made during his naturalisation process. According to court filings, Neeraj Sharma stated under oath during his 2017 citizenship application that he had never committed an offence for which he had not been arrested, never provided false information to US government officials and never lied to obtain immigration benefits. The Justice Department argues those statements were false and that Neeraj Sharma concealed conduct that would have affected his eligibility for citizenship.
Neeraj Sharma became a US citizen in December 2017. He was later convicted of visa fraud linked to the alleged scheme. Federal authorities now argue that his citizenship was obtained through material misrepresentations and should therefore be revoked.
Who Else Is Being Targeted?
The Justice Department’s latest denaturalisation cases extend far beyond immigration fraud. According to US officials, the group includes individuals convicted of serious offences, including child sexual abuse, child exploitation, money laundering, wire fraud and other crimes.
Among those named are a Haitian immigrant accused of sexually abusing his daughter, a former Yugoslav national convicted of sexually abusing a child, a Mexican-born man convicted in a child exploitation case and a former Catholic priest from Colombia accused of child sex abuse. Others include individuals accused or convicted of financial crimes, immigration fraud and money laundering.
What Is Denaturalisation?
Denaturalisation is the legal process through which the US government revokes citizenship from naturalised Americans. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, federal authorities can seek to strip citizenship if they can prove that an individual obtained naturalisation illegally or concealed material facts during the application process.
Unlike birthright citizenship, naturalised citizenship can be challenged if the government successfully demonstrates fraud or ineligibility at the time citizenship was granted. The process requires federal court approval and allows defendants to contest the allegations.
