Woman Loses Citizenship After Hiding War Crimes on Naturalization

What Happened

A 53-year-old woman named Nada Radovan Tomanic is going to prison for lying on her U.S. citizenship application. She pleaded guilty to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law — that means getting citizenship through fraud — on November 10, 2025, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), through its Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, uncovered her past and brought the case forward.

During the 1990s, Tomanic served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Investigators found that she participated in severe physical and psychological abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners — actions that amount to torture and a war crime. When she later applied for naturalization (the process of becoming a U.S. citizen), she denied having served in a detention facility or committing any crimes. She made that denial twice: once in writing on her application, and again under oath during an in-person interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer.

How Big Is This Problem?

This case is not unique. Since 2003, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more than 520 people for human rights-related violations. During that same period, ICE obtained deportation orders against and physically removed 1,178 known or suspected human rights violators from the United States. ICE also helped an additional 208 such individuals leave the country. Right now, HSI has more than 1,903 active investigations into suspected human rights violators across 95 countries. Since 2003, the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center has stopped over 415 suspected human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the United States.

What This Means for the Naturalization Process

When you apply for citizenship, USCIS asks detailed questions about your past — including military service, arrests, and any involvement in persecution or abuse of others. Lying on that application, whether in writing or under oath during your interview, is a federal crime. It can result in criminal charges, prison time, and loss of citizenship. Lawyers recommend answering every question on your naturalization application completely and honestly, even if the answer is complicated.

What to Do

• If you are preparing a citizenship application (Form N-400, the Application for Naturalization), answer all questions about your past fully and truthfully — including any military or government service in another country.
• If you have a complicated history — such as military service abroad or past legal issues — consult an immigration lawyer before you file. A lawyer can help you understand how to answer sensitive questions correctly.
• If you have already submitted an application and are worried about something you wrote, lawyers recommend speaking with an immigration attorney as soon as possible before your USCIS interview.
• If you have information about someone who may have committed human rights violations and is living in the United States, you can report it to the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or through the online tip form on the ICE website.