The administration of former President Donald Trump is significantly ramping up efforts to strip United States citizenship from naturalised immigrants, as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, according to sources familiar with the plans.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reassigned staff and deployed experts across its field offices to identify potential denaturalisation cases. Officials aim to initiate between 100 and 200 cases per month for litigation, a stark increase from the 102 cases filed over four years during Trump’s first term.
Denaturalisation is a legal process that revokes citizenship, typically applied to individuals who concealed criminal histories or human rights violations during their naturalisation process. The current campaign is part of wider Department of Homeland Security (DHS) measures, which include large-scale deportation operations, visa revocations, expanded detention facilities, and efforts to remove green card holders.
USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said the agency pursues action only when credible evidence of fraud or misrepresentation exists.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalisation process and will pursue denaturalisation proceedings for anyone who lied or misrepresented themselves,” Tragesser told NBC News. “We will continue to pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work with the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship.”
To expedite proceedings, trained staff are being embedded across more than 80 field offices nationwide. The Justice Department has directed attorneys to prioritise cases involving national security risks, war crimes, torture, and government fraud, while also targeting other significant cases.
Trump has long focused on redefining citizenship, challenging birthright citizenship in the Supreme Court, and on his social media platform Truth Social, he promised to remove anyone he considers not a “net asset” to the U.S., pledging to “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”
Approximately 800,000 individuals become naturalised U.S. citizens each year, meeting requirements such as legal permanent residency, English proficiency, knowledge of civics, and demonstration of “good moral character.” Experts emphasise that revoking citizenship is rare and legally complex.
“It’s crucial for current and future naturalised U.S. citizens to understand that no president can unilaterally strip people of the citizenship they’ve worked so hard to earn,” said Doug Rand, a former USCIS official.
Observers note that the expanded denaturalisation initiative marks one of the most aggressive moves yet in Trump’s immigration agenda. The initiative signals heightened scrutiny of naturalised Americans and underscores a renewed focus on enforcement and compliance.
With these measures, experts warn, naturalised citizens may face unprecedented legal and bureaucratic challenges, while the broader debate over immigration, citizenship, and national security is poised to intensify in the United States.
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