The Justice Department is pushing to revoke the citizenship of 384 foreign-born Americans, according to a New York Times report published Thursday. While it is not inherently abnormal for the DOJ to pursue the denaturalization of individuals believed to have obtained their citizenship through fraud, the department is now calling on prosecutors across the country to ramp up denaturalizations, according to the Times. The effort is part of President Donald Trump's anti-immigration crackdown.
New Directive to Prosecutors
The push was announced during a Justice Department meeting last week, according to the Times, which reported that civil litigators in 39 U.S. attorney's offices across the country will pursue denaturalization cases. This marks a significant escalation in enforcement actions targeting naturalized citizens.
White House Response
White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson suggested Thursday on X that the push was simply about enforcing federal law. "Citizenship fraud is a serious crime," Jackson wrote. "If you break the law, you will be held accountable. After 4 years of Joe Biden, this may be shocking to some."
It is unclear why the department is reportedly targeting the 384 individuals. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but DOJ spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told the Times that the department was "pursuing the highest volume of denaturalization referrals in history" from the Department of Homeland Security. "The Department of Justice is laser focused on rooting out criminal aliens defrauding the naturalization process," he added.
Historical Context
Denaturalization cases have historically been rare. From 1990 to 2017, there were about 11 such cases per year. At the end of Trump's first term, the Justice Department created a division dedicated to denaturalization cases due to the "growing number of referrals anticipated from law enforcement agencies." Since Trump began his second term, his administration has been clear about increasing denaturalization cases. A June memo listed 10 priorities for denaturalization cases, including for people who have fraudulently used government programs.
