The United States government has filed a lawsuit to revoke the citizenship of Nicholas Eshun, a Ghanaian-born former U.S. Marine, following his dishonourable discharge for sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl, later revealed as an undercover officer, the Department of Justice said. Eshun enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2011 and became a naturalised citizen in 2013 under a statute expediting citizenship for service members. He was caught exchanging inappropriate messages during an overseas deployment and was convicted in a military court, leading to his dismissal four-and-a-half years into his mandatory five-year service.
Citing provisions requiring full service to maintain eligibility for military benefits, the DOJ filed denaturalisation proceedings in the District of Maryland, seeking to revoke Eshun’s citizenship and deport him to Ghana. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said, “There is no lawful basis for him to keep the citizenship he secured as one.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “Citizenship is not a shield for criminals who never deserved it in the first place. If you commit heinous crimes, you will be held accountable.”