US Moves To Revoke Citizenship of 40 Criminals, Ghanaians Among Those Named
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services partnered with the Department of Justice to file denaturalisation actions against 40 individuals accused of serious felonies
- The accused allegedly concealed crimes ranging from espionage and child sexual abuse to marriage fraud and voluntary accidental death during their naturalisation proceedings
- Several African nationals appear on the list, including two Ghanaians, two Nigerians, and nationals from Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Egypt
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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on October 22, 2026, that it has partnered with the Department of Justice to file denaturalisation actions against 40 individuals accused of serious felonies, including espionage, sexual offences, immigration fraud, and violent crimes.
According to USCIS, each individual allegedly concealed criminal conduct or provided false testimony during their naturalisation proceedings.
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Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalised citizen who fraudulently obtained citizenship by hiding material facts or lying can have their citizenship revoked and their certificate of naturalisation cancelled.
African nationals among the 40 accused
Several African nationals feature prominently on the list. Two Ghanaian men have been named: Francis Darko Asamoah, 56, faces denaturalisation in the Eastern District of Virginia after allegedly lying under oath about having children during his 2013 naturalisation interview, a misrepresentation USCIS says prevented investigators from scrutinising the legitimacy of his marriage to a US citizen. Dexter Anson, 72, faces action in the District of Connecticut after allegedly concealing a prior deportation order issued under a different identity, George Opoku, on both his diversity visa application and at his naturalisation interview.
From Nigeria, Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole, 54, faces denaturalisation in the District of Maryland for allegedly failing to disclose prior aliases, arrests, a previous immigration benefits application, and prior exclusions and deportations. Her compatriot Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, 58, faces a similar complaint in the Northern District of Georgia, with authorities alleging he sought immigration benefits under two separate identities, was ordered removed, and later naturalised in 2009 without disclosing either the alternative identities or the removal order.
Anita Moanjeh Atem, 48, a Cameroonian national, was named in a Maryland case after allegedly concealing that she had sexually abused a minor, a family or household member in her care, between 2004 and 2007, before naturalising in 2009. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu, 58, a Sierra Leonean national, faces charges in Georgia's Northern District for allegedly re-entering the United States on a fraudulent British passport after being ordered removed under a different name, and later naturalising by concealing his full immigration history.
Two Egyptian nationals, Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman, 62, and Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali, 59, both face denaturalisation proceedings in the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with visa fraud involving fraudulent H-1B work petitions.
Espionage and other serious charges
Beyond the African nationals, the wider list includes cases of particular gravity. Jinchao Wei, 26, a Chinese-born former US Navy serviceman, was convicted in August 2025 of espionage and sentenced to 200 months in prison after allegedly selling military secrets to China, having naturalised just two months after enlisting.
Ping Li, 61, also Chinese-born, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China, having allegedly passed information on dissidents, Falun Gong members, and US-based organisations to Chinese state security services.
USCIS stated that the complaints represent allegations only and that no determination of liability has yet been made.
US denies 12,000 citizenship applications in 3 months
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that more than 12,000 people were denied American citizenship within three months.
The figures were made public by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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Source: YEN.com.gh
