Fraud Accountability Act

Summary

Makes convictions for fraud against any private person, fund, corporation, or government entity a deportable offense regardless of the monetary loss involved, adds that fraud category to crimes triggering mandatory immigration detention, and requires U.S. courts that convict a naturalized citizen of a deportable offense to void that person’s naturalization and cancel their certificate at the time of conviction. The bill takes effect on enactment and includes a limited retroactivity rule for the naturalization-cancellation provision covering frauds committed on or after September 30, 1996 when the person was not previously arrested, charged, or indicted for that conduct.

• Any conviction for fraud against a private individual, fund, corporation, or government entity becomes a deportable offense regardless of the monetary loss amount.
• The new fraud deportability clause is added to the list of offenses that trigger mandatory immigration detention.
• Federal courts that convict a naturalized citizen of a deportable offense must revoke the order admitting them to citizenship and cancel their certificate of naturalization at conviction.
• Courts are granted express jurisdiction to carry out revocation and cancellation at the time of conviction.
• The act takes effect on enactment and makes the naturalization-cancellation rule retroactive to frauds committed on/after Sept. 30, 1996 when the person was not previously arrested, charged, or indicted.
• No new funding or appropriations are provided; the bill changes removal, detention, and denaturalization procedures in federal law.
• The changes may increase mandatory detentions and removals and impose administrative burdens on immigration and justice system actors.
• Retroactive application could lead to legal challenges raising due process or ex post facto concerns.