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U.S. Justice Department Launches Coordinated Denaturalization Effort Targeting Naturalized Citizens

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DOJ Expands Denaturalization Efforts, Filing Cases Against 17 Individuals in Single Day

The Department of Justice is pursuing "the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history," targeting hundreds of naturalized citizens.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a significant expansion of its efforts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans, filing denaturalization cases against at least 17 individuals on a single day. This action is part of a broader initiative by the administration to increase the volume of denaturalization cases, which legal experts note is a rare legal process with specific judicial requirements.

Scope of the Initiative

The DOJ has described the recent filings as a coordinated push. Reports indicate that on a specific Monday, the department moved to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized citizens. This follows a May announcement of cases against approximately a dozen individuals.

According to a source familiar with the inquiries, the DOJ is currently investigating at least 300 foreign-born Americans for possible revocation of their citizenship.

The administration has directed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff to refer over 200 denaturalization cases per month to the DOJ. A DOJ spokesperson stated that the department is pursuing "the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history."

Legal Basis and Process

Denaturalization is a civil lawsuit in federal court—not an immigration court proceeding—used to strip U.S. citizenship from a naturalized person. The government must prove that the person obtained citizenship illegally or through fraud, such as by concealing criminal convictions, human rights abuses, or providing false information on applications.

The burden of proof is "clear and convincing evidence," which is lower than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in criminal cases.

Key legal aspects include:

  • Legal Protections: Defendants have due process rights and are heard in federal court.
  • No Statute of Limitations: There is no time limit for the government to bring a denaturalization case.
  • No Right to Counsel: Defendants are not entitled to a government-appointed attorney.
  • Consequences: If citizenship is revoked, the individual reverts to their prior immigration status (often lawful permanent residency) and may become deportable.

Case Examples

The individuals targeted in the recent wave of cases include naturalized citizens originally from a wide range of countries, including Bolivia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Gambia, Haiti, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Somalia, and Uzbekistan.

Allegations against the targeted individuals include:

  • Criminal convictions for violent crimes, sexual abuse of a minor, child pornography, and drug trafficking
  • Financial crimes such as healthcare fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and stock price manipulation
  • Immigration fraud, including the use of false identities, sham marriages, and fraudulent visa petitions
  • Ties to terrorism or war crimes, including alleged involvement with al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and former Gambian security forces
  • Espionage, including the case of former diplomat Manuel Rocha, who admitted to being a Cuban spy

A Colombian-born priest was among those named, having been convicted of sexual assault. Other examples include a Moroccan-born man with alleged ties to al Qaeda, a Somali immigrant who pleaded guilty to supporting al Shabaab, and a former Gambian police officer allegedly involved in war crimes.

Historical Context

Between 1990 and 2017, the DOJ filed an average of 11 denaturalization cases per year.

The current administration has filed 64 cases in the last 16 months, a dramatic increase from historical norms.

  • Standard Practice: During the Biden administration, the DOJ filed 24 cases.
  • Red Scare Era: Denaturalization was more common during the 1940s and 1950s, when over 22,000 Americans lost citizenship.
  • Landmark Ruling: The 1967 Supreme Court case Afroyim v. Rusk ruled that the government cannot take away citizenship without a person's consent, except in cases of fraud during the citizenship process. Following this decision, denaturalization became rare.

Organizational Changes

The DOJ has assigned the initial 384 cases to prosecutors in 39 U.S. attorney's offices across the country. This distribution is intended to increase capacity. The DOJ has reportedly lost nearly 1,000 assistant U.S. attorneys due to resignations and firings.

Official Statements

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the DOJ maintains a "zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process" and that the department is focused on "rooting out criminal aliens defrauding the naturalization process." He added that individuals who did not illegally obtain citizenship "have nothing to worry about."

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the administration will "continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens," adding that "American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly."

Potential Legal Challenges

Legal experts and former DOJ attorneys have noted that the current cases fall within legal parameters but have raised concerns about the potential for the system to be politicized.

Federal courts have previously ruled against the administration's broader detention policies, with immigrants prevailing in 350 out of 362 cases in one review. The legal community is observing whether the denaturalization initiative will face similar judicial opposition.

Related Actions

The administration has also signed an executive order seeking to revoke birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented parents, which is pending a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.