The Department of Justice is moving to strip a former physician of his U.S. citizenship, years after he was sent to prison for the sexual exploitation of a child.
In a legal filing made today in the Southern District of New York, federal authorities initiated a denaturalization action against Hassan Sherjil Khan, a Pakistani native who allegedly lied about a history of horrific sex crimes to secure his American status.
The government’s case centers on a timeline of deception that began long before Khan took his oath of citizenship. According to court documents, Khan started grooming an 11-year-old girl online as early as 2007.
For the next five years, he coerced the minor into sending sexually explicit images and participating in live video chats. The abuse eventually crossed international borders; in April 2012, Khan traveled abroad to engage in sexual acts with the victim, who was then only 15 years old.
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Just four months after that trip, Khan applied for naturalization. On his application, he concealed the ongoing abuse and his criminal conduct, leading the government to grant him citizenship in May 2013. The facade collapsed shortly after when the victim came forward.
Khan was arrested in September 2015 and eventually pleaded guilty to the coercion and enticement of a minor. He is currently serving a 17-year sentence in federal prison.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division made it clear that the government views citizenship as a privilege that cannot be maintained through fraud.
“Naturalization and U.S. citizenship will not protect sexual predators from the consequences of their horrific acts,” Shumate said. “If you fail to disclose serious crimes while seeking naturalization, the government will discover your lies and revoke your ill-gotten U.S. citizenship.”
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The new complaint argues that Khan’s citizenship was illegally procured because he lacked the “good moral character” required by law at the time of his application. By giving false testimony and willfully misrepresenting his past, prosecutors say Khan bypassed the legal safeguards intended to keep criminals from naturalizing.
The case is being spearheaded by the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Litigation alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. While Khan remains behind bars for his criminal convictions, the denaturalization claims are currently allegations, and a court has yet to make a final determination regarding his citizenship status.
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