The US Department of Justice has identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it seeks to revoke, marking a major escalation in efforts to increase denaturalization cases across the country. According to a New York Times’ report, officials plan to assign these cases to prosecutors in 39 regional offices, expanding the scope of work beyond specialist immigration lawyers.

The move forms part of a broader push under the administration of Donald Trump to tighten immigration enforcement. Senior officials said that the department wants to speed up the process by involving civil litigators in local US attorney offices, reported The New York Times. Traditionally, such cases were handled by experts within the department’s immigration litigation unit.

Why is government increasing denaturalization cases?

Under US law, the government can revoke citizenship if it proves that a person obtained it through fraud or misrepresentation. This may include sham marriages, false statements, or hiding past criminal activity. In some cases, serious crimes committed after gaining citizenship can also lead to denaturalization.

Officials said the current effort aims to pursue a higher number of such cases than ever before. A spokesperson for the Justice Department said it is “laser focused on rooting out criminal aliens defrauding the naturalization process.”

The push follows a directive to the Department of Homeland Security to refer up to 200 cases a month for review, NYT reported. These referrals form the basis for legal action in federal courts, where the government must present strong evidence.

The process remains complex. Courts require “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence,” according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Judges review each case carefully before making a decision.

What concerns are being raised?

Legal experts have raised concerns about the plan’s scale and impact. Amanda Frost from the University of Virginia said the move could create fear among naturalized citizens. “The message it sends is that naturalized citizens don’t have the same rights and stability as native-born citizens,” Frost told NYT.

Other experts warned that expanding denaturalization cases could stretch resources and shift focus away from other important legal work. Civil divisions in many offices already handle cases related to healthcare fraud, civil rights enforcement, and financial crimes, reported The New York Times.

Historically, denaturalization has been rare. Between 1990 and 2017, the government filed about 305 cases, averaging 11 per year. Between 2017 and late last year, just over 120 cases were pursued. 

Lucas Guttentag, a former DOJ official, told The Times, “This kind of mass denaturalization campaign will be based on a distortion of the law and is another transparent effort to destabilize long-established principles of US citizenship.”

Officials, however, insist the effort targets fraud, not lawful immigrants. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “Citizenship fraud is a serious crime; anyone who has broken the law and obtained citizenship through fraud and deceit will be held accountable.”

In the past, denaturalization was often used against individuals accused of war crimes or serious deception. Critics say that expanding its use could revive concerns about fairness and equal protection, reported The New York Times.

The United States granted citizenship to over 818,000 immigrants in 2024, reflecting the scale of the naturalization system. Applicants go through strict checks, including background reviews, biometric data submission, and tests on civics and English.