DOJ Expands Denaturalization Effort Against Millions of Naturalized Americans

The U.S. Department of Justice under President Trump has launched an expanded denaturalization initiative aimed at revoking citizenship from naturalized Americans deemed threats to national security or who obtained citizenship fraudulently. This effort repurposes a McCarthy-era law originally designed to target communists and later used to remove former Nazis, now broadly applied to individuals involved in violent crimes, gang affiliations, or fraud. The DOJ memo instructs attorneys to aggressively pursue denaturalization cases, potentially targeting a wide group of naturalized citizens, which has raised concerns among legal experts and civil rights advocates about vague language leading to overreach, discrimination, and politicization of citizenship rights. While the DOJ assures these actions will be based on evidence and lawful procedures, critics warn that the policy may intimidate immigrant communities and be used selectively against political opponents. Historically, specialized DOJ units led by figures like Eli Rosenbaum have used this statute to deport war criminals, but the current broad application represents one of the most aggressive citizenship revocation efforts in recent years. The initiative reflects a significant shift in immigration enforcement with potential far-reaching consequences for millions of naturalized citizens nationwide.