The Trump administration has formalized a controversial push to revoke the U.S. citizenship of certain naturalized Americans, issuing a directive that broadens the Justice Department’s authority to initiate denaturalization proceedings in civil court.
A memo dated June, 11 recently made public, directs government attorneys to prioritize civil cases that strip individuals of citizenship if they are found to have “illegally procured” it or obtained it through “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.” The document outlines 10 priority categories for denaturalization, ranging from war crimes and serious human rights violations to criminal activity such as gang involvement and financial fraud.
Unlike criminal trials, civil denaturalization proceedings do not guarantee the right to legal counsel, and the government faces a lower burden of proof. Immigration advocates warn this opens the door to targeting vulnerable individuals and expanding what critics call a “second class” of U.S. citizens, those who were naturalized rather than born in the country.
“There is a real danger that this creates two tiers of citizenship, undermining equal protection under the law,” said Sameera Hafiz, policy director at the Immigration Legal Resource Center.
The memo gives Justice Department attorneys wide discretion, including cases involving untruthful responses on immigration forms, fraud against federal programs, and referrals from other agencies. It also aligns with broader policy shifts under Trump, including dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and restricting transgender health care access.
The memo’s release coincides with ongoing upheaval at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which has reportedly lost about 70% of its attorneys between January and May 2025, according to NPR. The division, traditionally focused on fighting discrimination, is now spearheading new enforcement strategies that critics say run counter to its founding mission.
Recent actions include a lawsuit against 15 U.S. district attorneys in Maryland over an injunction halting the deportation of migrants, as well as an investigation into DEI practices at the University of Virginia, which led to the resignation of university president Jim Ryan on Friday.
Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded its 13th in-custody death this fiscal year, surpassing last year’s total of 12.
The denaturalization effort has already seen results: on 13 June, a judge revoked the citizenship of Elliott Duke, a British-born U.S. Army veteran, after he was found to have concealed a conviction for child sexual abuse material during his naturalization process.
Critics argue that the move politicizes the legal process and risks stripping citizenship based on inconsistent standards. “This is a slippery slope that puts millions of naturalized citizens under a cloud of uncertainty,” Hafiz said.
The administration has defended the directive as a necessary step to uphold the integrity of U.S. citizenship. Whether courts and public opinion will support such sweeping measures remains to be seen.
