The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil denaturalization lawsuit in the District of Maryland against Nicholas Eshun, a native of Ghana who became a U.S. citizen through military service. Eshun gained citizenship under a provision that allows expedited naturalization for servicemembers who serve honorably for at least five years.
According to the Justice Department, after obtaining citizenship, Eshun was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps following his conviction for attempted sexual abuse involving someone he believed to be fourteen years old. The individual was actually an undercover officer with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “As alleged, this defendant betrayed the uniform, abused the trust of this nation, and targeted who he believed was a child. Under strong leadership, this Department is using every lawful tool to protect the American people and to ensure that citizenship is not a shield for criminals who never deserved it in the first place. If you commit heinous crimes, you will be held accountable. This is how we make America safe again.”
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division said, “Today’s denaturalization against Nicholas Eshun, a court-martialed sex offender, demonstrates the United States’ commitment to using every tool available under the law to pursue those who obtain their U.S. citizenship unlawfully. Thanks to the intrepid investigators of NCIS, we now know the danger this man poses to this country. He is no longer serving as a Marine. There is no lawful basis for him to keep the citizenship he secured as one.”
Eshun immigrated to the United States and enlisted in October 2011 before naturalizing in 2013 through his military service. Two years later while serving overseas, he engaged in inappropriate communications with what he thought was a minor but was actually an undercover officer; these actions led to his court-martial and subsequent dishonorable discharge on May 16, 2016—after four and a half years of service.
Under section 8 U.S.C. § 1440(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, servicemembers who are dishonorably discharged without completing at least five years of honorable service can be subject to denaturalization.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Hans H. Chen from the Office of Immigration Litigation’s Affirmative Litigation Unit with support from several agencies including the U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division and Homeland Security Investigations.
