Liberian National Denaturalized After Naturalization Fraud Conviction Tied to Child Abuse
Published Oct 15, 2026
USCIS and ICE investigators helped secure the denaturalization and court-ordered removal of Cyril Domaquik Clemens, 72, a native of Liberia, after he was convicted of naturalization fraud for lying about prior sexual abuse crimes on his citizenship application. A federal judge sentenced him to time served, revoked his U.S. citizenship, and ordered him to self-deport at his own expense.
Key points
- Clemens pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud on June 18, 2026, and was sentenced to time served on Sept. 17, 2026.
- He falsely denied on his naturalization application and in his USCIS interview that he had ever forced sexual contact on another person or committed an unreported crime.
- He became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 19, 2021, after already committing the undisclosed child sexual abuse.
- In 2023 a North Carolina state court convicted him of three counts of indecent liberties with a child, sentencing him to prison and sex offender registration.
- The case was investigated under Operation False Haven, a joint USCIS-ICE initiative targeting child molesters and other serious offenders who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits.
Who is affected
People who obtained or are applying for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, and the public generally interested in immigration fraud enforcement.
What to do
USCIS encourages anyone with information about suspected immigration benefit fraud to report it using the USCIS Tip Form.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-15. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
Release Date
10/15/2026
NEW BERN, N.C. — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services assisted in an investigation that resulted in the sentencing of Cyril Domaquik Clemens, 72, a native of Liberia, for naturalization fraud. On Sept. 17, a federal judge sentenced Clemens to time served. The court also revoked Clemens’ naturalized U.S. citizenship and judicially ordered him to self-deport at his own expense. Clemens pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud on June 18. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle made the announcement.
Cyril Domaquik Clemens
Clemens knowingly made materially false statements under penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during his naturalization interview with USCIS. He falsely responded “No” when asked whether he had ever been involved in forcing, or attempting to force, another person to engage in sexual contact or relations. He also falsely answered “No” when asked whether he had ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. Clemens became a naturalized U.S. citizen on Feb. 19, 2021.
On April 3, 2023, in North Carolina Superior Court, Durham County, Clemens pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent liberties with a child. A state judge sentenced him to a term of imprisonment ranging from 1 year and 4 months to 2 years and 5 months and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Clemens confessed to sexually molesting the child for more than a decade, from Nov. 1, 2011, through March 7, 2022. The child was a 4-year-old girl when the abuse began. Clemens committed these crimes before submitting his naturalization application and providing false statements to USCIS. However, he was not arrested until after he naturalized. At the time USCIS approved Clemens’ naturalization application, officials were unaware of his offenses.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, along with USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, investigated the case. It is part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits.
To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.
10/15/2026
Original title: Liberian Child Rapist Convicted of Naturalization Fraud, Denaturalized, and Judicially Ordered Removed from the U.S.
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This summary was produced with AI from the official announcement. Only the official source is authoritative.