Senior Trump administration officials face criticism over plans to accelerate denaturalization efforts targeting naturalized U.S. citizens, with the Justice Department reportedly preparing cases against hundreds of foreign-born Americans.
Axios reported that lawyers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are being temporarily transferred to U.S. attorney’s offices to help prosecute denaturalization cases. NBC News said the department is targeting at least 300 people for possible citizenship revocation.
Denaturalization requires proving that citizenship was obtained illegally or through fraud on immigration applications. A Justice Department spokesperson said the administration is pursuing what it called the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history.
Immigrant advocates warned the campaign could chill civic participation among naturalized communities. Reports indicate USCIS previously set internal goals of referring 100 to 200 potential cases per month to prosecutors in 2026. The administration has filed several denaturalization cases since January, according to department figures cited by news outlets.
The New York Times reported in April that Justice Department officials had shortlisted 385 naturalized citizens for possible denaturalization proceedings. During Trump’s first term, USCIS identified thousands of potential cases but referred only a fraction to prosecutors. Immigration attorneys said denaturalized individuals revert to prior immigration status and may face deportation proceedings if citizenship is revoked by a federal judge.
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Sources:
https://dailycuratednews.substack.com/p/news-headlines-may-22-2026