Republican senators are pushing Attorney General Loretta Lynch to revoke the citizenship of the 1,800 people who accidentally became U.S. nationals even though they were scheduled to be deported.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and 10 other Republican senators asked a series of questions to Lynch about what steps the government is taking remedy the problem, in a Tuesday letter that was released Wednesday.
“Once those individuals are investigated, will [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] investigate the remaining individuals who should not have been granted naturalization?” they asked.
The letter noted that not only did hundreds of immigrants mistakenly receive U.S. citizenship, but some are from high risk countries, and some have even taken on jobs related to security.
“This is particularly troubling given these new citizens’ ability to obtain security clearances, serve in law enforcement, sponsor other aliens’ entry into the United States, and hold positions of public trust,” the letter said. “In fact, the report found that one citizen is now a law enforcement official and at least three obtained licenses to conduct security sensitive work.”
The letter asked Lynch to initiate a process of revoking the citizenships that were wrongly given and urged prosecution for anyone who committed immigration fraud. The lawmakers emphasized that these proceedings should take place in all cases, not just the ones involving people who have gotten sensitive jobs.
