President Trump stated he would "absolutely" denaturalize certain Americans, specifically "criminals," if he had the power to do so. His comments followed a deadly attack on National Guard members and represent an intensification of the administration's immigration crackdown. Trump claimed some criminals were naturalized by previous administrations, suggesting a lack of thoroughness in the process.
The U.S. Department of Justice has prioritized stripping naturalized Americans of their citizenship when they are charged with certain crimes. This process requires the U.S. Attorney's Office to file charges in federal court, and the government bears a high burden of proof to revoke naturalization. The Justice Department is targeting individuals accused of war crimes, gang activity, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses, as well as those convicted of crimes posing an ongoing threat to the U.S.
Naturalization is the legal process by which lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens after meeting specific requirements outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Eligibility typically involves being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years and passing tests on English language ability and U.S. history. In the past decade, over 7.9 million individuals have been naturalized in the U.S., and in 2022, 53% of the 46.2 million immigrants living in the U.S. were naturalized citizens.
While research indicates immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S.-born individuals, the Trump administration's focus on denaturalization has increased. From 1990 to 2017, an average of 11 denaturalization cases were filed annually. During Trump's first term, this average rose to 42 cases per year, and since January 2017, thousands of cases have been selected for possible denaturalization, with over 110 referred for prosecution. At least one individual has been denaturalized this year after being convicted of child sexual abuse material offenses.