The United States government will likely strip the citizenship of Iyman Faris, a Pakistani-American accused of providing material support to terrorists, reported Foreign Policy.

Faris had pleaded guilty of plotting with senior Al Qaeda operatives to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge. Faris had also traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and had allegedly met Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the September 11 terror attacks, according to prosecutors.

The Department of Justice on Monday had filed a civil suit to revoke Faris's citizenship, added the publication.

The case by the prosecution is based on evidence that Faris lied during his naturalisation process and unlawfully acquired US citizenship.

The prosecution claims he fraudulently used another person’s passport when he entered the United States and also did not disclose his past involvement in military combat in Kashmir and Afghanistan.

During proceedings of the case in 2003, prosecutors had alleged that he had processed airline tickets for Al Qaeda operatives, researched ultralight airplanes, and delivered a bag of money and cellphones.

Faris had then pleaded guilty and been awarded a lighter sentence of 20 years. He had later tried to withdraw his plea and claimed he was innocent. He was taking antidepressants and antipsychotic medication at that time, his lawyer had said.

“We have a new Department of Justice and a new approach to terrorism and immigrants. I think it is in the interest of this administration to try to highlight at this time criminal activity of people who came into this country originally seeking asylum,” said Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Faris had initially applied for asylum but later married a US citizen and obtained his green card.

Although stripping of citizenship is very rare, a naturalised US citizen can have their citizenship revoked. A US-born citizen can only revoke their citizenship themselves.