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yesterday

DOJ Sets Goal to File 250 Denaturalization Cases by October

The department says the expansion will protect citizenship integrity by accelerating referrals to U.S. attorney offices.

A large image of US President Donald Trump hangs from the Justice Department on April 3, in Washington, DC.
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US President Donald Trump reacts at the "Board of Peace" meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. US President Donald Trump will show off his new "Board of Peace" at Davos on January 22, 2026 burnishing his claim to be a peacemaker a day after backing off his own threats against Greenland. Originally meant to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel, the board's charter does not limit its role to the Strip, and has sparked concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
A new US citizen holds a program waiting to take the Oath of Allegiance before receiving their naturalization certificates during a formal ceremony at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on June 25, 2025. The new citizens, approximately 25 Chicago-area residents, hail from six countries: Jordan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Yemen.

Overview

  • The Justice Department has filed 29 denaturalization suits so far this year and, according to a senior DOJ official, plans to file at least 250 cases by October 2026.
  • The cases focus on naturalized citizens the government alleges fraudulently obtained citizenship or concealed serious crimes, with priority categories set last year that include national security threats, war crimes and undisclosed felonies.
  • A 12‑attorney denaturalization unit is working a backlog while civil litigators have been redeployed and referrals are being fed from USCIS and DHS to U.S. attorney offices around the country.
  • Denaturalization is a civil federal process that requires proof by a clear and convincing standard, can return a person to their prior immigration status and may expose them to deportation, and it generally does not guarantee appointed counsel.
  • Experts and advocates warn the rapid push could strain courts, increase the risk of errors against naturalized citizens, and chill confidence in citizenship even as the DOJ says the effort is meant to root out serious fraud.