The administration of United States President, Donald Trump, is intensifying efforts to strip citizenship from certain foreign-born Americans, broadening a denaturalisation initiative as part of a wider campaign to tighten immigration controls.
Officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security agency that oversees lawful immigration—have recently been reassigned to field offices across the country to review cases of naturalised citizens who may be eligible for citizenship revocation, according to According to NBC News.
The renewed focus represents a significant escalation from past enforcement efforts, which traditionally concentrated on only a limited number of cases.
Sources who spoke with NBC News said the administration plans to provide immigration litigation offices with between 100 and 200 potential denaturalisation cases each month.
That would mark a dramatic increase from Trump’s first term, when the Justice Department filed just 102 denaturalisation cases over a four-year period, highlighting the scale of the proposed expansion.
Historically, denaturalisation proceedings have been uncommon and typically reserved for individuals who concealed serious criminal records, human rights abuses, or other material information during the citizenship application process.
The latest effort forms part of a broader DHS strategy to strengthen immigration enforcement, including expanded deportation operations, visa cancellations and moves to remove certain legal residents, including green card holders.
A USCIS spokesperson said the agency enforces a “zero-tolerance policy” on fraud in the naturalisation process and will initiate denaturalisation proceedings where there is credible evidence of misrepresentation or deception.
The agency added that it is working closely with the Department of Justice to safeguard the integrity of the immigration system.
Justice Department lawyers have reportedly been directed to prioritise denaturalisation proceedings, under guidance that spans a wide spectrum of potential cases — from individuals viewed as national security threats to those accused of defrauding federal programmes such as Medicare or Medicaid.
The directive also grants prosecutors discretion to pursue “any other cases” deemed significant enough to warrant action.
USCIS says it has reinstated enhanced vetting procedures for all applicants, including more rigorous reviews of application records and confirmation that candidates satisfy statutory eligibility requirements.
Officers are now directed to assess applicants not only on the absence of criminal conduct but also on affirmative contributions to society, such as community involvement, consistent employment, and family responsibilities.
The administration is also moving to decentralise investigations by deploying trained personnel across USCIS’s more than 80 field offices instead of relying solely on a centralised unit — a shift officials believe will improve case identification and processing efficiency.
