The administration is launching a major effort to revoke the citizenship of hundreds of people who obtained it through fraud or misrepresentation.
The administration announced a significant expansion of the denaturalization process to strip U.S. citizenship from individuals who obtained it through fraud or misrepresentation. Since the start of 2025, the Justice Department has moved to revoke the citizenship of nearly 90 people, with a goal of filing at least 250 cases by October. This initiative aims to preserve the integrity of the naturalization process by targeting criminals and fraudsters who failed to meet the "good moral character" requirement. While previous administrations used denaturalization sparingly, the administration is prioritizing cases involving serious crimes such as wire fraud, drug distribution, and war crimes. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that the government is committed to removing these fraudsters using every tool available. While some experts note that the process is resource-intensive and slow-moving, the administration is leveraging U.S. attorney’s offices nationwide to maximize the reach of this campaign. The effort sends a clear message that naturalized citizenship is a precious right that can be forfeited if obtained dishonestly.