The Trump administration announced Monday that it is pursuing denaturalization actions against 17 naturalized Americans convicted of serious crimes, describing the move as the largest denaturalization effort ever undertaken by the U.S. government under federal law.
According to the Department of Justice, these individuals were convicted of offenses including sexual abuse of minors, fraud, drug trafficking-related crimes, and identity misrepresentation. Federal statutes permit revocation of citizenship when naturalization was secured through concealment of criminal conduct or material misrepresentations during the application process.
The Justice Department stated that the cases involve individuals who allegedly obtained U.S. citizenship while hiding information disqualifying them from the naturalization process. “American citizenship is a privilege and it must be earned honestly,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a statement. “If you come here, break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege.”
As part of this initiative, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices are directed to provide the Office of Immigration Litigation with 100–200 potential denaturalization cases monthly throughout 2026. Federal officials noted the administration has increasingly emphasized denaturalization as a core component of its immigration enforcement agenda.
The 17 individuals targeted include convictions for healthcare fraud, bank fraud, drug-related offenses, sexual abuse of minors, and identity fraud. Specific cases involve a Haitian national convicted of sexually abusing his minor daughter; an ordained Roman Catholic priest convicted of sexually abusing and grooming a minor; a Jamaican national involved in a stock manipulation scheme generating over $54 million in artificially inflated investments; and a Dominican Republic national convicted of distributing more than $1.7 million in prescription drugs without authorization.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “Criminal aliens are lying about their past crimes, including drug dealers, sexual predators, and fraudsters.” He added that gaining U.S. citizenship remains “a privilege” under President Trump’s leadership, with the Department of Justice maintaining a “zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process.” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate emphasized the initiative protects the integrity of the citizenship process, noting, “Anyone thinking they can defraud the naturalization process should think again. We will continue to pursue anyone who unlawfully or fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.”
The individuals targeted originated from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, Yugoslavia, Jamaica, India, the Dominican Republic, Somalia, the People’s Republic of China, Congo, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Philippines. This follows similar actions taken earlier in 2024, including efforts to denaturalize 12 individuals accused of war crimes, sexual abuse of a minor, and providing material support for terrorism.
