Minneapolis, Minnesota — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is auditing immigration cases involving U.S. citizens of Somali origin to identify potential fraud that could result in denaturalization, an escalation that has alarmed civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups.
Homeland Security officials said the review focuses on whether citizenship was obtained fraudulently, which under U.S. law can be grounds for revocation. Denaturalization cases are historically rare and resource-intensive, with advocacy groups estimating that only about a dozen cases per year were pursued nationwide for decades prior to 2017. Still, the administration framed the effort as part of a broader enforcement strategy aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system.
The announcement comes amid an intensified federal focus on Minnesota’s Somali community, which officials have repeatedly linked to alleged fraud involving federally funded social service programs. Critics argue that the administration is conflating isolated fraud investigations with an entire ethnic and immigrant population, effectively placing lawful citizens under suspicion based on national origin.
Immigrant-rights organizations say the policy risks chilling free speech and undermining due process, particularly as the administration has also expanded deportations, visa revocations, and social media screening. Supporters of the policy counter that it strengthens national security and accountability for taxpayer-funded programs.
Federal agencies have recently increased their presence in Minnesota, with the FBI confirming it has surged investigative personnel to the state. Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services said it has frozen child care payments to Minnesota and will require additional documentation for future disbursements nationwide.
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