The Justice Department announced plans to revoke citizenship from 17 individuals across the United States, as part of the Trump administration’s continued focus on denaturalization. This effort targets naturalized citizens accused of fraudulently obtaining their citizenship, including allegations of fraud and sexual abuse of a minor.

Denaturalization Process

Denaturalization, the process of revoking citizenship from a naturalized U.S. citizen, is a rare legal action that can only be pursued in federal court. Historically, the United States has revoked citizenship for various reasons, such as falsifying information about one’s arrival, age, or marital status, and even for political affiliations, as seen during World War II with German Americans who supported Nazi ideology.

Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department filed 24 denaturalization cases. However, the Trump administration has already surpassed this number within the past year, demonstrating a heightened focus on this legal process.

Administration’s Stance

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the administration’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of U.S. citizenship, stating, “Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process.” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin echoed this sentiment, affirming that the administration will continue to explore all lawful avenues to denaturalize and remove individuals who have violated the terms of their citizenship.

In May, the administration initiated proceedings to denaturalize an additional dozen individuals, underscoring its ongoing efforts to address fraudulent citizenship claims.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.