Minnesota man originally from Somalia among 17 Trump administration denaturalization targets
Starting in 1997, Kadiye tried to enter the United States by filing two separate identities, the U.S. Department of Justice says.
By Aki NaceTuesday June 9, 2026
A Somali-born immigrant in Minnesota is among 17 people the Trump administration is pursuing in its newest denaturalization drive.
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The U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota on Wednesday filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Abdikadir Kadiye. The case accuses him of multiple violations, including illegal procurement of naturalization and obtaining citizenship by concealing a material fact.
Starting in 1997, Kadiye tried to enter the United States by filing two separate identities, the U.S. Department of Justice says.
According to the complaint, he first identified himself as Liban M. Degel and said he was married and had no children. After an immigration judge rejected that application, prosecutors say he filed a second one in 1998 under the name Kadiye.
Justice Department officials said Kadiye later told a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent that he had used two identities during the process of gaining admission.
Federal law gives the government the power to seek denaturalization of foreign-born U.S. citizens if officials believe citizenship was obtained through fraud.
In practice, the remedy has been used sparingly. Historical data show that between 1990 and 2017, the Justice Department filed an average of just 11 denaturalization complaints a year. Last month, officials disclosed a dozen such cases.
The other 16 people named by the Justice Department on Monday face allegations ranging from sex abuse of a minor and drug distribution to immigration fraud.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to this report.
