In mid‑June 2025, former President Trump unveiled a sweeping new directive aimed at empowering the Department of Justice (DOJ) to strip naturalized U.S. citizens of their citizenship, not just for fraud or national security concerns, but even for civil offenses like minor fraud in federal programs. This marks a dramatic expansion of “denaturalization” far beyond its rare historical use.
The DOJ memo outlines criteria for revoking citizenship over national security violations or fraud, including civil wrongdoing such as PPP loan fraud or Medicaid/Medicare fraud.
It authorizes broader prosecutorial discretion, targeting naturalized citizens for past, even decades-old, administrative errors or omissions.
Denaturalization has historically been rare, generally reserved for war criminals or those who obtained citizenship through material fraud—those lying in ways that directly affected eligibility.
Supreme Court rulings, such as Afroyim v. Rusk (1967), firmly protect against involuntary stripping of citizenship, stating that it cannot occur absent voluntary renunciation.
Critics warn this expansion threatens due process: naturalized citizens could be punished for civil infractions without criminal proceedings or legal counsel, raising alarms about potential overreach and constitutional rights violations.
Immigration legal experts, such as Sameera Hafiz (Immigration Legal Resource Center), describe it as “shocking and very concerning,” warning it risks creating “a second class of U.S. citizens”.
Advocacy groups argue it disproportionately targets immigrants of color and sows fear within immigrant communities, with the ACLU and others condemning the policy as discriminatory.
Observers from the Human Rights Watch and New Black Voices characterize the plan as flawed, unconstitutional, and racially motivated.
The DOJ has already created a dedicated Denaturalization Section within its Immigration Litigation unit, signaling an intent to pursue cases aggressively.
Hundreds or thousands of naturalized citizens could face civil investigations and legal battles—even decades after naturalization—for mistakes ranging from minor application errors to alleged small-scale fraud.
Without appointed counsel, many may be unable to defend themselves, resulting in default judgments and unintended denaturalization.
Expect the courts to challenge this.