Justice Department Moves to Revoke Citizenship From 17 as Trump Expands Denaturalization Drive
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 8
Justice Department Moves to Revoke Citizenship From 17 as Trump Expands Denaturalization Drive
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 8
Summary
Seventeen people nationwide are being targeted for denaturalization in a new Justice Department action, one of the Trump administration’s biggest single pushes to strip naturalized Americans of citizenship.
The cases center on allegations that citizenship was obtained through fraud; officials said some of those targeted are also accused of fraud or sexual abuse of a minor.
Denaturalization is rare and can occur only through federal court, but the administration has already surpassed the Biden Justice Department’s 24 such cases over four years and moved against another 12 people in May.
The latest filings extend a broader Trump immigration crackdown, with senior officials framing U.S. citizenship as a privilege and pledging to keep using lawful avenues to denaturalize and remove people.
With hundreds more targeted for denaturalization, what past mistakes could now jeopardize a person's U.S. citizenship?
As the government re-examines past naturalizations, is U.S. citizenship becoming a conditional privilege rather than a permanent right?
The 2026 Denaturalization Surge: Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Push to Revoke U.S. Citizenship and Its Legal, Social, and Political Fallout
Overview
In April and May 2026, the Trump administration sharply increased efforts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans, aiming to strip citizenship from hundreds across the country. The Justice Department announced a dozen new denaturalization cases in May alone, signaling a much faster pace than in previous years. Officials are now seeking to match the total number of cases filed during the administration’s first term within just a few months. This dramatic expansion highlights a major shift in focus and resources, as the administration frames these actions as necessary to protect the integrity of the naturalization system and national security.