The United States Plans to Expand the Practice of Denaturalization

The administration of President Donald Trump plans to significantly expand the use of denaturalization procedures — the revocation of U.S. citizenship from individuals who obtained it through naturalization. This was reported by The New York Times, citing internal documents and sources within U.S. immigration agencies.

According to the publication, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received instructions to more actively identify cases that may be referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for judicial review regarding potential revocation of citizenship.

Substance of the Changes

According to NYT, regional USCIS offices have been advised to refer between 100 and 200 cases per month for potential denaturalization proceedings. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years, when such cases were initiated very rarely.

These developments do not involve the adoption of new legislation, but rather an intensified enforcement of existing legal mechanisms provided under U.S. federal law.

Who May Be Affected

The measures apply exclusively to naturalized U.S. citizens — individuals who obtained citizenship after immigrating to the United States and completing the naturalization process.U.S. citizens by birth are not subject to these measures.

According to the publication, primary attention is being given to cases in which there are suspicions that citizenship was obtained:

• through false information;

• by concealment of material facts;

• as a result of fraud or violations of immigration law.

  
  

As emphasized by The New York Times, denaturalization is possible only through federal court proceedings. Citizenship cannot be revoked automatically or through an administrative decision.

The burden of proof rests entirely with the U.S. government. Historically, such cases are considered legally complex and require a high evidentiary standard.

Representatives of the Trump administration state that the purpose of these measures is to protect the legality and integrity of U.S. citizenship, rather than to pursue mass revocations of status.