Citizenship Revoked After Trade Secret Conviction: When Criminal Acts Undo Naturalization
A federal judge has stripped a naturalized couple of their U.S. citizenship following their 2021 convictions for stealing medical trade secrets and sharing them with China. The denaturalization—ordered because the crimes demonstrated a lack of "good moral character" required for citizenship—highlights how criminal convictions, even years after naturalization, can trigger citizenship revocation proceedings.
Bottom Line
A California judge revoked the U.S. citizenship of a couple convicted of stealing medical trade secrets for China, ruling their crimes proved they lacked the good moral character required for naturalization. The case shows how economic espionage convictions can lead to a second legal consequence—permanent loss of citizenship—that only applies to naturalized Americans, not those born in the U.S.