By Le Floridien Staff______
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Nearly three decades after becoming a U.S. citizen, a 68-year-old Haitian-born man is facing the possibility of losing his American citizenship after the federal government accused him of obtaining it through fraud by concealing the sexual abuse of his minor daughter during the naturalization process.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against Jean Claude Alfred, alleging that he was not legally eligible to become a U.S. citizen because he falsely claimed he had not committed any crimes while his naturalization application was under review.
According to the complaint, Alfred began sexually abusing his daughter in September 1993, approximately one month before applying for U.S. citizenship. Federal prosecutors allege the abuse continued throughout the naturalization process, yet Alfred failed to disclose the ongoing criminal conduct when completing his application and during his sworn interview.
At the time, Delray Beach, Florida, resident Jean Claude Alfred, born on October 13, 1957, allegedly stated under oath that he had not committed any crime for which he had not been arrested. The government contends that this statement was knowingly false and prevented immigration officials from determining whether he met the legal requirement of good moral character—one of the essential qualifications for U.S. naturalization.
Two years after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1994, Alfred was prosecuted in Florida. In 1996, a jury found him guilty of attempted sexual battery upon a child in a familial or custodial relationship and lewd, lascivious, and indecent assault upon a child under the age of 16. Court records indicate the convictions were based on conduct that began before he took the oath of U.S. citizenship.
Rather than reopening the criminal case, the federal government is pursuing what is known as a denaturalization action—a civil proceeding that allows a court to revoke U.S. citizenship if it was obtained illegally or through deliberate misrepresentation or concealment of important facts.
Alfred is now one of more than 400 people the Trump administration is moving to strip of citizenship — the largest denaturalization push in American history.
If the court agrees with the government’s allegations, Alfred’s citizenship would be revoked and his Certificate of Naturalization canceled. He would no longer be recognized as a U.S. citizen, and his immigration status would return to what it was before he naturalized, potentially exposing him to additional immigration proceedings.
The case reflects an ongoing federal effort to identify naturalized citizens who allegedly obtained U.S. citizenship through fraud, false statements, or by hiding serious criminal conduct. While denaturalization cases remain relatively uncommon, federal authorities have increasingly pursued them in recent years when evidence suggests that citizenship was granted based on material misrepresentations.
Although Alfred was convicted of the underlying criminal offenses decades ago, the current lawsuit focuses solely on whether he obtained his U.S. citizenship lawfully. The government must prove in federal court that his naturalization was procured through fraud or concealment before his citizenship can be revoked.
As with any civil action, the allegations contained in the complaint have not yet been decided by the court, and Alfred will have the opportunity to respond before a final judgment is issued.
