The Trump administration filed a denaturalization lawsuit against Ghanaian-born U.S. Marine Nicholas Eshun on December 8, 2025, seeking to revoke his 2013 citizenship obtained via expedited military naturalization after his dishonorable discharge for soliciting sex from a purported 14-year-old girl who was an undercover Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent.
Eshun enlisted in October 2011, just 10 months after U.S. arrival, but his 2015 overseas conviction for inappropriate online exchanges violated the mandatory five-year honorable service for citizenship retention, triggering DOJ proceedings in Maryland District Court for deportation back to Ghana.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate emphasized using "every tool" against unlawful citizenship holders, citing NCIS investigators exposing Eshun's threat post-Marine dismissal after 4.5 years. Deputy AG Todd Blanche affirmed accountability: "Citizenship is not a shield for criminals," aligning with intensified crackdowns on naturalized offenders.
The case exemplifies Trump-era priorities broadening denaturalization beyond war crimes to serious misconduct, amid vows for immigration reforms.