US DOJ Moves to Denaturalize Foreign-Born Citizens

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed denaturalization actions against foreign-born U.S. citizens accused of serious crimes in federal court [1, 2].

These proceedings represent a significant escalation in the administration's approach to citizenship enforcement. By targeting individuals who have already obtained legal status, the government is signaling a lower tolerance for those alleged to have bypassed legal requirements or committed grave offenses after naturalization.

The actions, which began in May 2026 [3, 2], target individuals accused of a range of offenses. These include fraud, providing material support to terrorist groups, and committing war crimes [1, 2]. The Department of Justice is seeking to strip the citizenship of those who allegedly obtained their status through deception or committed acts that would have made them ineligible for citizenship.

Reports on the exact number of individuals targeted vary between sources. One report indicates that 17 foreign-born citizens are subject to these actions ^[1], while another report citing the Department of Justice said the number is 12 ^[2].

Denaturalization is a complex legal process that requires the government to prove that the citizenship was illegally procured or that the individual committed specific acts of treason or espionage. In these cases, the administration is focusing on the legality of the initial naturalization process—specifically whether fraud was used to obtain the benefit of citizenship [1, 2].

This move follows a broader pattern of immigration enforcement under the current administration. The legal challenges are now moving through the federal court system, where the government must present evidence to justify the removal of citizenship for these specific individuals [1, 2].