The Trump administration is dramatically escalating efforts to strip U.S. citizenship from individuals who obtained it through fraud, aiming to process 100–200 denaturalization cases per month in fiscal year 2026—a historic surge in enforcement.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Internal guidance obtained by The New York Times reveals that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed field offices to supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with a steady stream of cases, marking an unprecedented increase in denaturalization proceedings.
“It’s no secret that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ war on fraud includes prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship—especially under the previous administration,” Matthew Tragesser, a USCIS spokesman, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We will pursue denaturalization proceedings for those individuals lying or misrepresenting themselves during the naturalization process.”
The scale of the crackdown dwarfs historical precedent. Between 1990 and 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed just 305 denaturalization cases—an average of 11 per year, according to immigration experts. Many of these cases did not even result in revoked citizenship.
A June DOJ memo outlined the administration’s intent to “prioritize denaturalization“ as part of its broader immigration enforcement strategy. Matt O’Brien, former chief of the National Security Division within USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, praised the initiative, stating:
“Past administrations have not been aggressive enough in rooting out and punishing citizenship fraud. The steps currently being taken by the Trump Administration to protect the integrity of the naturalization process can’t be praised highly enough.”
O’Brien, now an executive deputy director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), added: “U.S. citizenship should only be available to those who meet the stringent good moral character requirements—and it should be stripped from those who lied to the government in order to get it.”
Grounds for Denaturalization
USCIS policy states that citizenship can be revoked if an individual:
- Committed fraud during the application process (e.g., concealing criminal history or using a false identity).
- Joined a terrorist organization or had communist affiliations after naturalization.
With 26 million naturalized citizens in the U.S.—roughly half of the foreign-born population, per Census Bureau data—the crackdown could impact thousands. In fiscal year 2024 alone, over 800,000 legal permanent residents were naturalized.
Broader Immigration Enforcement
The administration has also tightened vetting and restricted asylum processes in response to security concerns, including a halt on immigration from 19 “high-risk” countries after an Afghan national attacked two National Guard members. Earlier in December, USCIS scaled back work permit validity periods for asylum seekers.
“U.S. citizenship is the greatest gift on Earth,” O’Brien said. “Unfortunately, that means many foreign nationals are willing to lie and cheat to obtain it.”
The aggressive push reflects the administration’s broader commitment to restoring integrity to the immigration system after what officials describe as years of lax enforcement.
Original article
Comments