Ghislaine Maxwell’s answers on a U.S. citizenship form could come back to haunt her.
The disgraced British socialite, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking minors as part of her ongoing relationship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, appears to have omitted key details of her criminal activity to immigration authorities when successfully obtaining U.S. citizenship over 20 years ago, documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) show. While federal immigration authorities did not confirm a current investigation into Maxwell, they did tell the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Trump administration would vigorously pursue any instances of fraud.
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in close coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), reviews cases where there is credible evidence that citizenship was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Matthew Tragesser told the DCNF. “We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalization process and will pursue denaturalization proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves, regardless of who they are.”
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship,” Tragesser continued.
A lawyer for Maxwell, David Oscar Markus, did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
A British national who also holds French citizenship, Maxwell became a naturalized American citizen in 2002, according to court documents. However, what she claimed in her naturalization paperwork raises questions.
Maxwell answered “no” to two key questions on her application for naturalization: whether she’d committed criminal acts in the past or “procured anyone for prostitution,” according to documents released by the DOJ. She was ultimately convicted of participating and facilitating the sexual abuse of underage girls for Epstein between 1994 and 2004, directly contradicting her answers on her naturalization paperwork.
Any naturalized American citizen can be subject to denaturalization if they committed fraud during their citizenship application process, such as concealing past criminal activity or using a false identity, according to USCIS.
While federal immigration authorities do successfully strip citizenship from those who lied about their past, denaturalization rates are quite low compared to the sheer number of foreign nationals who become naturalized Americans every year and the legal hurdles render the process incredibly slow. The DOJ lodged a total of 305 denaturalization cases between 1990 and 2017, resulting in an average of just 11 denaturalization cases annually, according to immigration experts.
The Trump administration, which has made immigration enforcement a hallmark policy, wants to see an uptick in these numbers, with USCIS field offices being asked to supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month during the 2026 fiscal year. USCIS officials previously confirmed that it’s launching a first-of-its-kind vetting facility to enhance its screening of immigrants into the country.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction of sexually exploiting and abusing underage girls with Epstein. Earlier in February, she pleaded the fifth during her deposition before the House Oversight Committee, but indicated she would cooperate with prosecutors — if President Donald Trump granted her clemency.
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