A federal judge has revoked the U.S. citizenship of Vivian Chike Obichere, a Nigerian-born woman. The Justice Department says she first got a U.S. passport in 1992 by using another person's identity. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín entered the order on October 13 1.
Obichere became a naturalized citizen in June 2013. That was a decade after she gained lawful permanent resident status, commonly called a green card, under her real identity. The judgment cancels her naturalization back to June 19, 2013 1.
What the government alleges
The Justice Department says Obichere used the name, Social Security number, birthplace and birth date of a U.S. citizen to get the 1992 passport, and renewed it in 2002. In 2012, it says, she tried to renew that passport while also applying for citizenship under her real name 1.
She was convicted in federal court in 2015 of making a false statement in a passport application. The department says she then testified under oath at her naturalization interview that she had not used the other name 1.
The case did not go to trial. Obichere agreed to a consent judgment on one of four counts, based on limited facts both sides accepted. She did not admit the government's other allegations, and the court dismissed the other three counts without deciding whether they were proven 1.
The Justice Department filed the case on July 30 in the Northern District of California. Another report put Obichere's age at 72 12.
A fast-growing campaign
Brett A. Shumate, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Division, called denaturalization "the final step to strip citizenship from those who conceal crimes or defraud the American people." He said the administration will continue its "historic denaturalization campaign" 1.
Securing denaturalization is the final step to strip citizenship from those who conceal crimes or defraud the American people,
TRAC, a data research group at Syracuse University, counts at least 185 denaturalization cases filed in the first 10 months of 2026. Filings peaked at 50 in July. Newsweek reports that is more than the roughly 125 cases filed nationwide from 2008 through 2025 1.
In early August, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced filings against 25 people. He said they were "only the beginning" 2.
The department also announced that a Florida federal court revoked the citizenship of Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres on October 14. She was convicted in 2020 of conspiracy to launder money from a theft at a tribal casino 1.
What the ruling does not decide
The order does not decide whether Obichere remains a lawful permanent resident. It also does not decide whether she can be removed from the country or detained. She keeps the right to contest those questions in later proceedings 1.
Separately, federal authorities are investigating the immigration history of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Omar has denied wrongdoing, and no denaturalization lawsuit has been filed against her 1.
That matters because these first cases involve alleged fraud and, in both, a criminal conviction. The open question is how far the campaign will reach, given the pace of filings and the department's own promise that more are coming. Readers who are naturalized citizens should keep their records in order.
The Record
- Obichere's naturalization date, which the court order now cancels 1.
- Obichere is convicted in federal court of False Statement in Application and Use of Passport (the report gives the year only) 1.
- The Justice Department files its lawsuit to revoke Obichere's citizenship 12.
- Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín enters a consent judgment revoking Obichere's naturalization 1.
Sources
- Newsweek, “Woman With US Passport for 24 Years Is Denaturalized” (2026-10-23). newsweek.com/woman-with-us-passport-for-24-years-is-denatura
- Legit.ng, “US Set to Revoke American Citizenship of 3 Nigerians Over Crimes, Releases Their Names” (2026-08-05). legit.ng/people/1723203-us-set-revoke-citizenship-3-nigerian
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