The burgeoning social services fraud investigation in Minnesota may lead to foreign-born individuals having their citizenship revoked if they are convicted of fraud. 

The FBI, as well as state and federal Republican lawmakers, are scrutinizing allegations of widespread fraud in Minnesota. The probes began earlier this month after federal prosecutors charged more than 90 individuals — the majority of whom are of Somali descent — with stealing billions of dollars from the Medicaid programs in Minnesota. Last weekend, the attention on Minnesota increased after Nick Shirley, 23, published a video investigation that found that several state-funded, Somali-owned daycare centers were not providing services for children.

On Wednesday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was asked if President Trump wants members of the Somali community in Minnesota to have their citizenship revoked if they are convicted of fraud.

“Absolutely, and it’s something the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, is currently looking at,” Ms. Leavitt told Fox News. 

She predicted that “liberal, activist judges” would “try to block and tackle this administration from pursuing justice at every turn.”

“But that’s not going to stop the president and his entire Cabinet [from] acting on behalf of law-abiding, tax-paying citizens in the state of Minnesota and in states across the country who have been ripped off by people who abused our immigration system, came to our country, do not love our country or respect our values, and now have been ripping off and stealing money,” she said.  

Denaturalization is a lengthy process that requires a high burden of proof to convince a court to revoke a foreign-born individual’s citizenship. 

An immigration attorney, Matthew Hoppock, found that on average, the federal government pursued denaturalization proceedings against 10 to 15 people a year. 

There are limited grounds for revoking citizenship, such as proving that an individual’s citizenship was “illegally procured,” meaning they were not eligible for naturalization when they became a citizen, such as not meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.

Another issue that could lead someone to have their citizenship found to be “illegally procured” is if they are deemed to be lacking “good moral character” or “attachment to the Constitution.”

The “good moral character” provision refers to individuals “with a nexus to terrorism” or espionage, who are war criminals, or who lied during their naturalization process. Federal officials would have to present evidence to prove their allegations in court. 

While the FBI is probing allegations of fraud, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday it will freeze childcare payments in Minnesota. 

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, also scheduled a hearing on January 7 to investigate allegations of fraud. Mr. Comer said the committee will hear testimony from state lawmakers who have raised concerns about fraud. 

The committee invited Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, as well as the state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, to testify at a hearing in February.