Ghanaians Listed Among Foreigners To Lose US Citizenship Over Serious Offenses, Details Emerge

The US Justice Department filed complaints against 40 individuals in its largest single-period denaturalisation push under the Trump administrationTwo Ghanaian nationals, Francis Darko Asamoah and Dexter Anson, are among those targeted for allegedly lying during their naturalisation proceedingsBoth men obtained US citizenship through separate acts of fraud and misrepresentation spanning several yearsGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

Two Ghanaian nationals are among 40 foreign-born individuals facing denaturalisation in the United States after the Department of Justice filed complaints against them in what officials have described as the largest single-period denaturalisation filing under the Trump administration.

The cases against Francis Darko Asamoah, 56, and Dexter Anson, 72, were filed on consecutive days in late September and early October, with each man accused of making false statements during immigration and naturalisation proceedings.

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The US Justice Department filed 40 denaturalisation complaints, including cases against two Ghanaian nationals accused of fraud. Image credit: Roberto Schmidt, Sergio Amiti/Getty Images Source: Getty ImagesFrancis Darko Asamoah's case Asamoah, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, naturalised as a US citizen in 2013 after obtaining permanent residency through his marriage to an American citizen. During his naturalisation interview that year, he testified under oath that he had no children. That claim was later contradicted by a Virginia Certificate of Live Birth listing him as the father of a child born in July 2011, whose mother was not his US citizen spouse.

The Department of Justice filed a complaint against Asamoah on 30 September in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging that his false testimony shielded immigration authorities from scrutinising the legitimacy of his marriage. Shortly after obtaining citizenship, Asamoah divorced his American spouse. In later immigration filings, he acknowledged the existence of the child he had previously denied.

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The case against Anson, filed on 1 October in the District of Connecticut, centres on a more elaborate pattern of deception. Prosecutors allege that Anson concealed the fact that he had previously applied for immigration benefits and received a deportation order under a different identity, George Opoku, before entering the diversity visa process under the name Dexter Anson.

Anson faces two charges: illegal procurement of naturalisation and procurement of naturalisation by wilful misrepresentation. Prosecutors argue he was ineligible for a diversity visa from the outset, having obtained it through fraud and misrepresentation. They further allege that his prior conduct, including violations of three federal statutes relating to providing false information to the government, disqualified him from meeting the good moral character standard required for naturalisation. He also allegedly failed to disclose his prior deportation proceedings during his naturalisation interview.

The Justice Department's filing of 40 denaturalisation complaints in a single period marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to strip citizenship from individuals it says obtained it through fraud or criminal conduct.

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Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the United States had issued a warning to holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Ethiopia and 12 other countries, ordering them to leave the country after a federal court removed the final legal barrier blocking their removal.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that Judge Brian Murphy had lifted the stay on Ethiopia's TPS termination.

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Philip Boateng Kessie (Head of Human Interest Desk) Philip Boateng Kessie is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Desk at YEN.com.gh, where he has worked since 2022. He has over eight years of journalism experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast. Philip previously served as Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh and has also worked as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and a content writer for Scooper News. He also holds certificates in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh