DOJ Ramps Up Denaturalization Referrals as Roy Pushes Ideology Test for Citizenship

Overview

• The Justice Department says it is pursuing the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history, with field offices told to expect assigned cases against specific citizens.
• The New York Times reporting says hundreds of naturalized Americans are being targeted for denaturalization and possible deportation, with no public explanation of the criteria.
• Some outlets cite an internal goal of 100 to 200 denaturalizations per month in 2026 and say at least 300 people have been flagged, which remains unconfirmed.
• Texas Rep. Chip Roy’s proposed MAMDANI Act would bar entry, deport, or revoke naturalized citizenship for people who advocate or are “affiliated” with socialism or Islamist movements, and a summary says decisions would not face court review.
• Supreme Court precedent in Afroyim v. Rusk (1967) has long shielded citizens from being stripped of citizenship, a protection put in place after more than 22,000 revocations from 1906 to 1967 and now likely to be tested.