Archive · 6 Oct 2026
US Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of 40 in Historic Drive
The US Justice Department is asking courts to take citizenship away from 40 people.
The department calls this its largest denaturalisation effort in modern history.
It says the cases involve people who may have hidden important facts or given false information when seeking citizenship.
One person named is Balwinder Singh, who lives in California and is of Indian origin.
The department says Singh used different identities in immigration applications and became a citizen in 2009.
It says fingerprints connect him to both applications, but the claims against him are being handled in court.
Another person, Jinchao Wei, was convicted of espionage-related crimes before the department sought to revoke his citizenship.
An attorney for Egypt-born Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan says the claims against Hassan contain errors and will be challenged.
Asking a court to revoke citizenship is not the same as the court having made a final decision.
The Justice Department says it is pursuing denaturalisation cases against 40 people, calling the effort the largest in modern history.
The complaints were filed between August 21 and October 2, 2026, in multiple federal courts, according to one report.
Balwinder Singh, an Indian-origin California resident, is accused of using different identities in immigration applications before naturalising in 2009.
The department says fingerprints link Singh to the applications and his complaint alleges seven counts; the allegations remain subject to court proceedings.
The cases involve a range of alleged or proven conduct; Jinchao Wei was convicted of espionage-related offences, while an attorney for Egypt-born Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan disputes the allegations against his client.
- Who
- The US Department of Justice is pursuing cases against 40 people, including Balwinder Singh and Jinchao Wei; an attorney for Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan disputes allegations against his client.
- What
- The department is seeking to revoke the naturalised US citizenship of 40 people.
- When
- The initiative was announced October 5, 2026; one report says the complaints were filed from August 21 to October 2, 2026.
- Where
- The cases are in multiple US federal courts; Singh's case is in the Eastern District of California.
- Why
- The department alleges the targeted people obtained citizenship unlawfully or through concealment or willful misrepresentation.
Justice Department's position
Challenges and legal process
Basis for seeking revocation
Justice Department's position
The department says the targeted individuals lied or concealed important information to obtain citizenship and is pursuing revocation under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Challenges and legal process
An attorney for Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan disputes the allegations against his client, calling the filing erroneous and speculative and saying Hassan will defend himself in court. The proceedings are not final rulings.
Scale and growth of cases
Justice Department's position
The department describes the 40 cases as the largest denaturalisation effort in modern history and says the effort is intended to protect the integrity of citizenship.
Challenges and legal process
A former senior USCIS official attributed the increased pace to factors including additional personnel, technology, policy changes, and government emphasis on reviewing prior decisions.
- People targeted
- 40 individuals
- Government's description
- The Justice Department calls the effort the largest denaturalisation drive in modern history.
- Reported complaint filing period
- August 21 to October 2, 2026
- Singh's application timeline
- Applications under different identities in 1992 and 2003; naturalised in 2009, according to the department.
- Singh complaint
- The department says fingerprints link Singh to both applications and the complaint alleges seven counts.
- Jinchao Wei
- Convicted in August 2025 of espionage-related offences; sentenced to 200 months in prison, according to the reports.
- Hassan's attorney's response
- The attorney called the filing erroneous and speculative and said Hassan would contest it.
- Legal basis cited
- The Immigration and Nationality Act allows revocation if citizenship was obtained illegally or through concealment or willful misrepresentation.
Sources
Why the US is stripping Balwinder Singh of his citizenship
US Launches Largest-Ever Denaturalisation Drive, Moves To Strip Citizenship Of 40 Including Indian-Origin Man
US launches largest denaturalisation drive, Indian-origin man among 40 targeted
Historic denaturalization drive – Why is Trump govt targeting 40 foreign-born US citizens?
