Justice Dept. Seeks to Strip Ex-Marine's Citizenship Over 2015 Child Sex Crime
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Justice Dept. Seeks to Strip Ex-Marine's Citizenship Over 2015 Child Sex Crime
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Nicholas Eshun, a Ghana-born former Marine, faces denaturalization after the Justice Department moved to revoke the citizenship he obtained through an expedited military program.
The case hinges on a law allowing citizenship loss for service members who leave before completing five years and do not receive an honorable discharge; Eshun pleaded guilty in 2015 to attempted sexual assault of a child.
Legal experts say using that statute for conduct committed after naturalization is exceedingly rare and appears not to have been enforced in decades.
The filing lands as the Trump administration pushes to revoke citizenship from hundreds of foreign-born Americans, though it remains unclear whether Eshun's case signals a broader expansion or an unusual exception.
For nearly 60 years, denaturalization has largely targeted fraud in citizenship applications, especially after a 1967 Supreme Court ruling sharply limited stripping citizenship from Americans.
Does revoking citizenship for later crimes create a permanent second class of American citizen?
If military service earns citizenship, should a less-than-honorable discharge be able to take it away?
Denaturalization of Nicholas Eshun: DOJ’s Crackdown on Military Naturalization Fraud and Its Broader Impact
Overview
The Department of Justice has started civil denaturalization proceedings against Nicholas Eshun, a former Marine who was court-martialed for sex offenses. Eshun’s misconduct led to his dishonorable discharge, which invalidates the honorable service required for his expedited citizenship through military naturalization. The DOJ, supported by agencies like NCIS, argues there is no lawful basis for Eshun to keep his citizenship, reflecting a broader government effort to use all legal tools against those who unlawfully obtain U.S. citizenship. This case highlights the government’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the naturalization process.