Filipino Among 17 Naturalized Americans Facing U.S. Citizenship Revocation

A Filipino-born naturalized U.S. citizen is among 17 individuals targeted in a series of lawsuits filed by the Trump administration seeking to revoke citizenship from people accused of obtaining naturalization through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of material facts.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland last week filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Jheromell Obejera Arcilla, 39, a native of the Philippines, in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

According to the DOJ, Arcilla pleaded guilty in 2021 to a sexual offense involving a minor after being indicted by a Maryland grand jury in 2020 on three counts of sexual offenses. Prosecutors said the abuse began before Arcilla became a U.S. citizen and involved the 15-year-old daughter of his cousin.

Federal authorities allege that Arcilla failed to disclose his involvement in criminal conduct during the naturalization process. The government argues that he did not meet the "good moral character" requirement for citizenship and knowingly provided false or misleading information to immigration authorities.

As part of its effort to revoke his citizenship, the DOJ has filed three separate claims against Arcilla, including allegations that he lacked the moral character required for naturalization and that he procured citizenship through misrepresentation.

Arcilla's case is among at least 17 civil denaturalization actions recently pursued by the federal government against naturalized Americans from several countries, including the Philippines, China, India, Vietnam, Mexico, El Salvador, and Jamaica.

The Trump administration has described the lawsuits as part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of the U.S. immigration and naturalization system by targeting individuals who allegedly obtained citizenship unlawfully.

"If you're going to come and become a citizen in this country, but you're going to do it by fraud, you're going to do it in a way that's illegal, you should be worried," Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a previous statement.

Civil denaturalization proceedings do not carry criminal penalties but can result in the loss of U.S. citizenship. Individuals who are stripped of their citizenship may subsequently face deportation proceedings.

Supporters of the initiative say the government has a responsibility to ensure that citizenship is granted only to qualified applicants who fully comply with U.S. law. Critics, however, argue that expanded denaturalization efforts could create anxiety among immigrant communities and naturalized citizens.

The cases will proceed through federal courts, where the government must prove that citizenship was obtained through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful means.