Immigration - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions On Immigration

Lies Can Backfire

Q. Can the INS take away the citizenship of someone who lied on his or her naturalization application? Would the INS then deport the person? What if the person is no longer a citizen of another country?

A. The INS can sometimes "denaturalize" a person who lied on a naturalization application. For the INS to denaturalize the citizen, the lie must have had "material effect on the outcome of the original naturalization," and "would have proven that the application was based on fraud of misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact or that the application was ineligible." A denaturalized person becomes a permanent resident. Not all grounds for denaturalization lead to removal (deportation). For instance, the INS might denaturalize, but not necessarily try to remove, a person who lied about having filed tax returns. If the person lied about having committed a removable offense, such as dealing drugs, the INS will likely try to remove the person. If the person is no longer a citizen of another country, he or she is considered "stateless". The INS can't deport the person until he or she is accepted by another country.

(By Alan Wernick)

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