President Donald Trump has announced a hardline stance against welfare and benefits fraud, pledging to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant convicted of defrauding Americans and to pursue deportation upon conviction.
“We’re also going to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant from Somalia or anywhere else who is convicted of defrauding our citizens,” Trump said.
“If you come to America to rob Americans, we’re throwing you in jail and we’re sending you back to the place from where you came.”
The remarks underscore the administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement and fraud prevention, positioning benefits fraud as both a criminal justice and national security issue.
Trump’s comments align with the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2025 (H.R. 1958), a proposal that tightens the consequences for naturalized citizens convicted of fraud involving public benefits.
Under Section 2(a), the bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to render individuals convicted of defrauding federal, state, or local benefits inadmissible.
Section 2(b) further classifies such convictions as grounds for deportability, effectively stripping convicted individuals of the legal protections tied to naturalized citizenship.
Minnesota Cases Put Spotlight on Enforcement
The crackdown follows a series of high-profile welfare fraud investigations in the United States, particularly in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali-American population.
Federal authorities have pursued cases alleging large-scale misuse of public funds, drawing national attention and intensifying political debate.
While Trump’s administration emphasize that enforcement targets criminal conduct, not communities, civil rights groups caution against rhetoric that could stigmatize immigrant populations and urge safeguards to ensure equal application of the law.
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