The Justice Department is aggressively prioritizing efforts to strip some Americans of their U.S. citizenship.
According to a June 11 DOJ memo, the civil denaturalisation process targets individuals who “illegally procured” citizenship or did so by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed its civil division attorneys to prioritise denaturalisation cases against naturalised citizens who obtained citizenship through fraud or misrepresentation.
According to a June 11 DOJ memo, the civil denaturalisation process targets individuals who “illegally procured” citizenship or did so by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”
“The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses… and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil,” the memo stated.
It lists priority cases involving national security threats, gang affiliations, violent crimes, and fraud.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates over 25 million naturalised Americans could be impacted.
The move aligns with President Trump’s broader clampdown on immigration. A recent Supreme Court decision also allowed his administration to continue efforts to end birthright citizenship.