Making a False Claim to U.S. Citizenship

Making a False Claim to U.S. Citizenship (May 15, 2020)

Individuals who are not U.S. citizens but who hold themselves out to be U.S. citizens may be subject to severe legal consequences, such as being placed into removal proceedings with little prospect of being eligible for relief or waiver.  Falsely claiming to be a US citizen has been a grave offense under U.S. immigration law and even more so since September 30, 1996 with the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA).  Under this law, any foreign national who falsely represents, or has falsely represented, himself or herself to be a citizen of the United States for any purpose is inadmissible. Foreign nationals in this situation will be subject to removal and discretionary waivers will generally be unavailable, unless the foreign nationals are able to qualify for asylum or some other relief, such as cancellation of removal.