Trump Administration Expands Denaturalization Campaign Against Fraud and Terrorism

The Trump administration announced Friday it is broadening a campaign to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans, accusing them of obtaining it through fraudulent means. The Department of Justice has filed denaturalization cases in federal courts across the country against roughly a dozen U.S. citizens born outside the United States, officials said.

According to officials, these individuals are accused of committing serious crimes, engaging in immigration fraud, or having proven ties to terrorist groups. The move marks a dramatic escalation in the federal government’s use of denaturalization, a complex legal process rarely pursued by previous administrations.

Sharp Policy Shift

A report by CBS News noted that the U.S. recorded just over 300 such cases between 1990 and 2017, averaging no more than 11 per year. Denaturalization requires Justice Department attorneys to prove in court that a person obtained citizenship illegally or by concealing material information in their immigration applications.

Once citizenship is revoked, the individual loses all legal benefits of U.S. citizenship and reverts to their prior status as a legal permanent resident, making them immediately eligible for deportation based on their criminal record.

Reassurances and Warnings

In an interview with CBS News, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated there is “a significant number of individuals who hold citizenship and do not deserve it.” Addressing concerns among the 24 million naturalized citizens in America, Blanche reassured that only a “very small percentage” should be worried, emphasizing the goal is to “deter fraud” and protect the value of American citizenship. He described denaturalization as an “inevitable consequence for those who commit fraud.”