WASHINGTON, Jan 5: A new intelligence law, and now a court ruling, have further strengthened the US government's power to strip a person of his citizenship even if he committed the crime after naturalization.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the government to strip a Haitian-American restaurant owner of his citizenship even though he was indicted, arrested and convicted after naturalization.
Also on Tuesday, federal agents in Atlanta arrested a prominent Ethiopian human rights abuse suspect and put him in deportation proceedings, for the first time using legal powers granted under a newly-signed intelligence reform law.
Immigration lawyers say that the two developments can have far-reaching consequences for thousands of immigrants from Muslim countries who already complain that they have become terror suspects since the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks believed to have been carried out by Muslim men.
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ZAMBOANGA: Troops in the Zamboanga peninsula captured Thursday an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang with a $20,000 reward on his head offered by the US government, an official said.
Toting Hanno, alias Jacaria, was arrested in a raid by military intelligence agents on the island of Sacol off the Zamboanga peninsula, the Southern Command chief, Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza, said.
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http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/jan/07/yehey/top_stories/20050107top6.html
Finally, the law is growing some teeth. It's high time the US had some "bite" toward those who have gained citizenship under false pretenses or who commit treason or other crimes after doing so.