The Justice Department is beginning to strip naturalized Americans charged with crimes of their citizenship.
This is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on criminal migrants. The Justice Department issued a memo on June 11 that details a list of priorities — especially concerning denaturalization.
The memo instructs federal attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.” The purpose is to remove individuals who obtained US citizenship through fraud or misrepresentation. This especially applies to those who “committed felonies that were not disclosed during the naturalization process” or “engaged in various forms of financial fraud against the United States.”
“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.’”
🚨President Trump urges newly naturalized American citizens to assimilate in a new video: "I welcome you into our national family. This special American culture is now yours to preserve. Your freedoms are now yours to protect." pic.twitter.com/AgTDVDqluu
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) June 10, 2025
The ten categories of priority targets are individuals connected with national security threats, such as terrorism, espionage, or those who illegally export sensitive technology. Other targets include war criminals, those affiliated with gangs, violent criminals, and human traffickers.
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The memo indicates that the Justice Department plans to apply its civil revocation authority more broadly than past administrations.
About 53 percent of the 46.2 million immigrants residing in the US were naturalized citizens in 2022, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Those seeking naturalization are required to go through a lengthy application process. They must typically have been a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, along with other criteria.
The White House does not have the authority to unilaterally strip a naturalized person of their citizenship. However, federal courts can take such an action after the Justice Department initiates civil denaturalization proceedings.
The law requires the government to prove that the individual illegally obtained their citizenship or lied on their applications. A federal judge would assess the evidence and issue a ruling. In this case, the individual can appeal the ruling. Those subject to such an action are entitled to due process and the right to defend themselves against the charges.
The Trump administration’s immigration polices have met with widespread backlash from the left. Democrat-aligned organizations have filed a slew of lawsuits challenging President Trump’s executive orders regarding illegal immigration. The issue sparked anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. The issue became even more heated after Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to the area to keep the peace.
Last week, the White House announced that it is suing the City of Los Angeles, alleging that its sanctuary policies led to the unrest. “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles” and that “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump,” the Justice Department said in a statement to Fox News.
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