Publication date: October 27, 2026
Location: Minnesota, United States
Category: U.S. News | Immigration & Federal Courts
Source: CNN
Original CNN article: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/27/us/minnesota-denaturalization-salah-osman-ahmed
The U.S. Justice Department is pursuing a legal effort to revoke the citizenship of Salah Osman Ahmed, a Minnesota man who became a naturalized American citizen nearly two decades ago and later pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist organization.
The case has drawn additional attention after federal officials sought to remove the judge overseeing it, arguing that his public comments about immigration enforcement raise questions about his impartiality.
Why the government wants to revoke his citizenship
Ahmed, who was born in Somalia, became a U.S. citizen in August 2007. According to federal court records and the Justice Department’s complaint, he traveled to Somalia several months later and became involved with al-Shabaab, a militant organization designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization.
The government alleges that Ahmed helped support the group and participated in activities that would have affected his eligibility for naturalization. In July 2009, Ahmed pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists and received a three-year prison sentence.
In May 2026, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Minnesota seeking to revoke his naturalization. The government argues that his conduct shortly after becoming a citizen demonstrates that he concealed material facts or misrepresented his allegiance to the United States during the naturalization process.
Ahmed’s attorney, Daniel Gerdts, has strongly disputed the government’s allegations in the civil case. He has argued that the complaint misstates important facts and that the law does not support the government’s request.
The citizenship case remains a civil proceeding. Ahmed’s earlier guilty plea is part of the record, but a court has not yet ruled that his naturalized citizenship should be revoked.
Justice Department asks judge to step aside
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz. In October, the Justice Department asked him to recuse himself after he made public comments about the effects of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations on federal courts in Minnesota.
Government officials argue that the judge’s comments raise doubts about whether he can impartially oversee the denaturalization lawsuit. The request is part of a wider dispute over judicial independence and the role federal judges may play in publicly discussing the administration’s immigration policies.
Schiltz has defended his comments as consistent with judicial ethics, which permit judges to speak about matters involving the rule of law and judicial independence.
Ahmed’s attorney has also opposed the recusal request, describing the government’s arguments as baseless and maintaining that the judge can fairly apply the law to the case.
A hearing on the request for recusal was scheduled for November 23, 2026, according to reporting published October 21. The outcome of that hearing could determine whether Schiltz continues overseeing the citizenship case.
What happens next?
The court must consider the government’s evidence and Ahmed’s legal arguments before deciding whether citizenship can be revoked. Denaturalization is not automatic simply because a naturalized citizen has been convicted of a serious crime; the government must establish legally sufficient grounds for revocation.
The dispute therefore involves two separate questions: whether the government can prove its case against Ahmed and whether Judge Schiltz should remain assigned to it.
The case is part of a broader Justice Department effort announced in May 2026 to pursue denaturalization proceedings against 12 individuals accused of concealing serious misconduct or otherwise obtaining citizenship unlawfully.
Current status: The government’s request to revoke Ahmed’s citizenship remains pending, and the dispute over the judge’s recusal is a separate procedural issue. No final ruling revoking Ahmed’s citizenship had been established in the sources reviewed for this report.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice; Minnesota Star Tribune; Reuters; MPR News.
Publication date: October 27, 2026
Location: Minnesota, United States
Category: U.S. News | Immigration & Federal Courts
Source: CNN
Original CNN article: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/27/us/minnesota-denaturalization-salah-osman-ahmed
