The administration of Donald Trump has directed U.S. immigration authorities to identify between 100 and 200 potential denaturalisation cases every month, marking a significant escalation in citizenship enforcement policy.
According to reports by NBC News and The Economic Times, the initiative tasks the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with reviewing past naturalisation approvals nationwide.
USCIS Reassigns Staff to Review Citizenship Approvals
To meet the new monthly targets, USCIS has reassigned personnel and deployed legal experts to field offices across the country. The goal is to provide a consistent stream of cases to the Justice Department’s immigration litigation team.
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated that the agency maintains a “zero-tolerance policy” toward fraud in the naturalisation process.
“We will pursue denaturalisation proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves,” he said, emphasising the administration’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.
Justice Department Prioritises Denaturalisation Cases
The United States Department of Justice has instructed its attorneys to prioritise citizenship revocation proceedings.
Cases under review reportedly include individuals accused of:
National security threats
War crimes
Medicaid or Medicare fraud
Serious immigration fraud or misrepresentation
The department also noted it may act in “any other cases” deemed sufficiently important, suggesting a potentially broad interpretation of enforcement criteria.
Trump’s Broader Immigration Agenda
Citizenship enforcement remains a core part of Trump’s immigration policy. In addition to expanding denaturalisation efforts, he has sought authority to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to foreign nationals — a matter currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a previous Thanksgiving message, Trump pledged to remove individuals who were not a “net asset” to the country and to “denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”
What This Means for Naturalised U.S. Citizens
The renewed push signals stricter scrutiny of past naturalisation approvals and reinforces the administration’s focus on immigration fraud enforcement.
Legal experts note that denaturalisation cases are historically rare and require strong evidence of fraud or concealment during the citizenship process. However, the new monthly targets could significantly increase the number of cases pursued.
