According to a June 11 memo from the Justice Department, the Trump Administration will prioritize denaturalization. In other words, they will begin to strip U.S. citizenship of individuals charged with certain crimes.
Part of the memo read:
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The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a person’s United States citizenship if an individual either “illegally procured” naturalization or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.” 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a). The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport. At a fundamental level, it also supports the overall integrity of the naturalization program by ensuring that those who unlawfully procured citizenship, including those who obtained it through fraud or concealment of material information, do not maintain the benefits of the unlawful procurement.
Denaturalization—the process of stripping individuals of their U.S. citizenship—is not a new tool, but its scope is widening. Historically deployed during the McCarthy era to target suspected communists and Nazi sympathizers, the practice saw expansions under both the Obama and Trump administrations. Now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is broadening its criteria, putting more naturalized citizens at risk of losing their status.
The legal mechanism is designed to revoke citizenship from those who obtained it fraudulently—whether by concealing criminal convictions, lying about affiliations with banned organizations, or committing serious offenses after naturalization. The bar has traditionally been high, but recent developments suggest a shift toward more aggressive enforcement.
On June 13, a federal judge ordered the denaturalization of Elliott Duke (they/them), a U.S. military veteran originally from the U.K. Duke had been convicted of distributing child sexual abuse material—a crime they later admitted to committing before obtaining citizenship. This case underscores the DOJ’s increasing willingness to pursue revocation even years after naturalization.
The DOJ’s Expanded Criteria
A newly issued memo outlines an expanded list of offenses that could trigger denaturalization proceedings, including:
- National security violations (e.g., espionage, terrorism-related activities)
- Large-scale fraud (e.g., PPP loan fraud, Medicare/Medicaid scams)
- Other serious crimes tied to immigration fraud
This shift signals a more aggressive stance, potentially affecting thousands of naturalized citizens.
Read HERE for the full list of crimes listed.
