washington u.s. chief justice john roberts take issue wednesday trump administration stance immigration case say could make easy government strip people citizenship lie minor infractions roberts supreme court justices indicate support deport ethnic serb immigrant name divna maslenjak bid regain u.s. citizenship strip falsely state husband serve bosnian serb army 1990s yugoslavia collapse roberts seem particularly concern government assert could revoke citizenship criminal prosecution trivial lie omissions note past exceed speed limit drive immigrants fail disclose citizenship application form ask list instance break law could late lose citizenship conservative chief justice say say answer question 20 years naturalize citizen knock door say guess american citizen roberts ask justice department lawyer robert parker roberts describe administration interpretation invite prosecutorial abuse government could likely find reason strip citizenship naturalize citizens troublesome give extraordinary power essentially unlimited power least case government roberts add president donald trump seek restrict immigration deport people enter unite state illegally maslenjak enter unite state husband two children 2000 grant refugee status claim fear ethnic persecution bosnia hand muslims settle ohio become u.s. citizen 2007. issue concealment husband ratko service bosnian serb army brigade participate notorious 1995 massacre 8,000 muslims bosnian town srebrenica maslenjak citizenship revoke husband deport serbia last october liberal justice stephen breyer share roberts concern note walk government build pocketknife key chain violation law rather surprise government unite state think congress interpret statute want interpret way would throw doubt citizenship vast percentages naturalize citizens breyer say conservative justice anthony kennedy also rebuke parker say seem argument demean priceless value citizenship around 20 million naturalize u.s. citizens accord migration policy institute legal question whether maslenjak false statements material effect u.s. decision grant refugee status government argue matter make false statement whether impact decision grant refugee status 2009 hear help husband avoid deportation convict make false statement conceal military service admit apply refugee reveal 1992 1997 family live bosnia husband serve military late convict lie citizenship application last oral argument court current term rule due end june u.s. chief justice alarm trump administration immigration case stance