Justices seem to favor limits in citizenship case

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed ready Wednesday to impose limits on when the government can strip an immigrant of U.S. citizenship for lying during the naturalization process.

The last scheduled argument until October was especially lively and included a sharp rebuke of a Justice Department lawyer by the court’s longestserving justice and examples of small lies the justices themselves might tell.

The Trump administration contends that even minor lies about driving too fast or omitting childhood nicknames can lead to loss of citizenship.

Justice Anthony Kennedy told lawyer Robert Parker that his argument “is demeaning the priceless value of citizenship.”

Chief Justice John Roberts, who often warns about the government’s vast powers in criminal cases, said the administration’s reading of immigration law could lead to “prosecutorial abuse.” Obama administration lawyers shared the same view as their successors.