Justice Department Makes Denaturalization Of Naturalized Citizens A Top Priority

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is now prioritizing the denaturalization of naturalized citizens that are later charged with certain crimes. A recent internal DOJ memo directs attorneys to “maximize” the pursuit of civil denaturalization in cases allowed under federal law—especially those involving national security, human rights abuses, and other serious offenses.

The move represents an intensification of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, expanding enforcement efforts not just against illegal immigrants or legal permanent residents, but also against naturalized citizens who may have secured the status through fraudulent means.

According to the memo, the DOJ’s Civil Division will now list denaturalization among its top five enforcement priorities. Civil denaturalization, a legal process distinct from criminal prosecution, allows the government to strip a person’s citizenship if it determines it was “illegally procured” or obtained through fraud, misrepresentation, or omission of material facts.

Naturalized citizens account for more than half—53%—of the immigrant population in the United States. According to 2022 data from the Migration Policy Institute, approximately 24.5 million of the 46.2 million immigrants in the U.S. were naturalized citizens. Becoming a naturalized citizen typically requires at least five years of lawful permanent residency (or three years in the case of spouses of U.S. citizens), passing English and civics exams, and demonstrating good moral character.

Now, naturalized citizens may face the threat of losing their citizenship if they’re convicted of serious crimes—or if federal authorities determine their naturalization was obtained under false pretenses.

The DOJ memo outlines target offenses including:

• Serious crimes such as those involving child sexual abuse material
• War crimes and human rights violations
• Terrorism-related offenses
• Extrajudicial killings
• Ongoing threats to national security

Between 1990 and 2017, the DOJ filed just 305 cases—averaging around 11 per year. In 2017, that number surged to 30, nearly double the figure from the previous year. Since 2017, over 2,500 cases have been identified for potential denaturalization, with at least 110 referred for prosecution.

The DOJ memo lists “ending antisemitism” as a priority, citing cases involving individuals critical of Israel. Notably, green card holder Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, was detained for months as the administration sought his deportation.

Critics argue that this broad enforcement mandate could be used to target individuals for their political views under the guise of national security.

While the DOJ has already denaturalized at least one individual this year—a convicted distributor of child sexual abuse material—the scale and scope of this new priority signal a broader shift. The guidance puts naturalized citizens on notice that their status could be revoked if the government determines it was improperly obtained, or if they’ve since committed crimes or other actions determined to be at odds with the DOJ’s criteria for national interests.

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