Naturalized U.S. citizens may now face a growing risk of losing their citizenship. A recent memo from the Justice Department shows that denaturalization has become a key enforcement focus. The shift suggests a more aggressive approach, where past cases and personal histories of naturalized individuals might come under renewed scrutiny.
As Bloomberg Law highlighted how even something like underreporting income on a tax return could land a naturalized citizen in legal trouble with the potential for losing their citizenship.
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One case out of Houston stands out. A woman, who had gone through a long and difficult process to become a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in 2019 to filing a false tax return. She had underreported income, received a refund of $7,712, paid a fine, and served a year in prison. Years later, federal prosecutors are still trying to strip her of her citizenship, not for the crime itself, but for allegedly hiding it during her naturalization process, even though she wasn’t charged at that time.
Under U.S. civil law, the government can take away someone’s citizenship if they believe the person lied or hid important information during the naturalization process especially if that information would’ve stopped them from becoming a citizen in the first place. This applies even to green card holders who’ve become naturalized, which has stirred anxiety in immigrant communities. Many are now wondering if past errors or missteps whether intentional or not could come back to haunt them.
Adding to those concerns, President Donald Trump has recently turned up the heat on this issue. In his speeches and social media posts, he’s been vocal about going after naturalized Americans. Just this past July, he said he’s looking into the possibility of revoking the citizenship of high-profile individuals like Elon Musk and NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, both of whom became citizens through naturalization. According to Trump, people who hold certain political views or a certain ideology are seen as a threat and could be at risk.
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Denaturalization means the government is taking away someone’s U.S. citizenship, usually because they’re accused of lying or hiding key information during the naturalization process. Historically, denaturalization has been rare and mostly reserved for extreme cases like war criminals or serious fraud committed during the naturalization process. Now, with this push from Trump and the Justice Department, there’s growing concern that the government might expand its power to strip citizenship in ways that could impact many people.
This represents a broader and more forceful approach than usual, making denaturalization a top priority for enforcement officials. Many legal experts are alarmed by how far this could go, warning that it stretches traditional limits on when citizenship can be revoked.