The Trump administration is seeking to strip citizenship from 17 naturalized Americans accused of fraud or concealing criminal records during the naturalization process, the Justice Department announced Monday in what officials described as the largest denaturalization effort in U.S. history.
CBS News, which exclusively learned of the move, reported that Justice Department officials called it the biggest exercise of denaturalization powers the federal government has ever undertaken.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department would have “zero tolerance” for abuse of the naturalization process. “Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters,” Blanche said.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration would “continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.” He added: “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly. If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”
Who Is Targeted
Those targeted include a Haitian immigrant who allegedly sexually abused his daughter; a man from the former Yugoslavia convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of 15; an immigrant from Mexico convicted of receiving sexually explicit images of minors; a former Catholic priest born in Colombia accused of child sex abuse; and a Filipino-born man who pleaded guilty to a child sex crime.
Others include an Indian immigrant accused of filing fraudulent H-1B visa petitions; the daughter of a Colombian drug trafficker accused of money laundering; a man born in Jamaica convicted of wire fraud; and a Cuban-born woman accused of defrauding a tribal casino. Justice Department complaints accused others of using false identities.
In court complaints filed across the country in recent days, prosecutors argued the individuals concealed criminal activity when applying for citizenship or were otherwise ineligible because they lacked the “good moral character” required by the naturalization process.
Escalating Campaign
Last month, officials announced a dozen denaturalization cases — at the time the largest such effort in years. Monday’s announcement goes further still. In 2025, the Justice Department broadened the categories of naturalized citizens to be prioritized for denaturalization as part of a wider crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration.
Between 1990 and 2017, the Justice Department filed an average of just 11 legal complaints per year seeking to denaturalize citizens, according to historical figures. That number has climbed sharply since Trump returned to office last year.
Federal law permits the government to seek denaturalization of foreign-born citizens who allegedly committed fraud to obtain citizenship — such as concealing criminal conduct on immigration applications. Officials must persuade federal judges to revoke citizenship — a process that can unfold in civil or criminal court.
Legal Consequences
Those targeted may challenge the government’s filings in court to retain their citizenship. If denaturalized, they revert to their prior immigration status — typically permanent residency — and lose all legal benefits of citizenship, including protection from deportation.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
