WASHINGTON:-  The US Justice Department filed lawsuits in various federal courts on Friday to revoke the citizenship of 12 US citizens, accusing them of concealing serious crimes and acts that were ineligible for citizenship during the immigration process.

The cases include allegations of material support for terrorism, war crimes, sexual abuse of minors, espionage, fraud and immigration fraud, the Justice Department said. The cases were filed by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from U.S. attorneys’ offices in various districts.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch said that people accused of fraud, sexual assault or supporting terrorism should never be granted U.S. citizenship. Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Summet said he is moving quickly to file lawsuits to restore the integrity of the citizenship process.

The individuals are from Iraq, Colombia, Morocco, Somalia, Gambia, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, India, China and Nigeria. They include Victor Manuel Rocha, a former US diplomat who was convicted of acting as an agent for Cuba.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained illegally or by concealing material facts or making a willful misrepresentation. The Justice Department said these are only allegations and that the court has not determined any liability.

For example, former Colombian priest Oscar Alberto Peleaz is accused of concealing his conviction for sexual abuse of minors, while Khaled Ouazzane is alleged to have concealed his ties to al-Qaeda before and after naturalization.

Others include Ali Youssef Ahmed Al-Nouri (Iraq), Salah Usman Ahmed (Somalia), Baboucar Mbob (Gambia), Kevin Robin Suarez (Bolivia), Abduwosit Razikov (Uzbekistan), Abdallah Usman Sheikh (Kenya), Debashis Ghosh (India), Pin He (China), Jorge Oyakhire (Nigeria) and Victor Manuel Rocha (Colombia).