US Citizen Faces Denaturalization Over Alleged Misrepresentation

A legal filing has been made in an Illinois court seeking the denaturalization and deportation of Emmanuel Tayo Akinkunmi, a Chicago man who became a U.S. citizen 15 years ago. The complaint, filed on October 7, 2026, alleges that Akinkunmi, originally from Nigeria, unlawfully procured his naturalization by willfully misrepresenting and concealing material facts during the application process.

The U.S. government claims that Akinkunmi, who took the Oath of Allegiance and was admitted as a citizen on June 8, 2011, had previously abandoned his green-card status under a different identity, Ezekiel Aremu Adetayo, in 1993. That abandonment led to an exclusion order from the United States, a decision upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 1997.

According to the lawsuit, Akinkunmi later applied for a new green card under his current name, falsely claiming he had used no other names and had not been previously excluded. This application was approved in 2000. The complaint further alleges that when applying for citizenship in 2010, Akinkunmi again denied any previous use of another identity and any past exclusion or deportation orders.

The case highlights the rigorous scrutiny and legal challenges that can accompany the U.S. naturalization process. The Department of Justice's involvement underscores the seriousness with which the government treats allegations of fraud in immigration matters. The matter is currently pending in the Illinois court, where further proceedings will determine the outcome of Akinkunmi's citizenship status.