The Trump administration has directed U.S. immigration authorities to identify 100 to 200 potential denaturalisation cases each month, intensifying efforts to review past naturalization approvals.
According to reports by NBC News and the Economic Times, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has reassigned staff and deployed experts to field offices nationwide to supply a steady flow of cases to the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation.
USCIS: Zero Tolerance for Fraud
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated the agency acts only when there is evidence of fraud or misrepresentation during the naturalization process.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalization process and will pursue denaturalization proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves,” he told NBC.
Tragesser added, “We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship.”
Justice Department Priorities
The Justice Department has instructed attorneys to prioritize denaturalization, citing cases involving:
Individuals posing national security risks
Alleged war criminals
Participants in Medicaid or Medicare fraud
A broader clause allows the department to pursue “any other cases… that the division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.”
Trump’s Broader Immigration Agenda
President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized citizenship policy in his political agenda. He is also seeking authority to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to foreign nationals, a matter currently under review by the Supreme Court.
In a Thanksgiving message last year, Trump wrote that he would remove anyone who is not a “net asset” to the U.S.” He added that he would “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”
About the Author
