The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing to significantly increase efforts to revoke the citizenship of certain naturalized Americans, with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche warning that individuals who obtained citizenship fraudulently “should be worried.”
Speaking during an interview with CBS News in Phoenix on Wednesday, Blanche said the Trump administration is pursuing more denaturalization cases than at any point in the last nine years, describing the initiative as part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy.
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“If you’re going to come and become a citizen in this country, but you’re going to do it by fraud, you’re going to do it in a way that’s illegal, you should be worried,” Blanche stated.
He added that the administration is not focusing on any single group, claiming there are “a lot of individuals who are citizens who shouldn’t be.” However, he did not specify how many naturalized citizens could potentially face denaturalization proceedings.
Denaturalization is a rare and complex legal process handled by the DOJ rather than the Department of Homeland Security. Federal prosecutors must convince a court that an individual obtained U.S. citizenship through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of material facts during the naturalization process.
Historically, such cases have been relatively uncommon. Between 1990 and 2017, federal authorities filed just over 300 denaturalization cases, averaging roughly 11 cases annually.
The Trump administration’s renewed emphasis on denaturalization comes amid a wider tightening of immigration policies and increased scrutiny of both undocumented and legal immigrants. Critics have raised concerns that the expanded effort could create fear and uncertainty among immigrant communities, while supporters argue it is necessary to preserve the integrity of the U.S. citizenship system.
Blanche indicated that more announcements regarding the initiative are expected in the coming weeks.
