DOJ Files Denaturalization Actions Against 12 Naturalized U.S. Citizens
Justice Department filed denaturalization cases against 12 individuals accused of war crimes, terrorism, sexual abuse and immigration fraud, expanding a Trump administration campaign.
TownhallDOJ Seeks to Denaturalize 12 Accused of Serious Crimes
USA TODAYDOJ moves to strip citizenship of 12 people amid denaturalization push
ABC NewsTrump administration targets 12 foreign-born Americans for denaturalization
CBS NewsTrump administration ramps up denaturalization campaign, targeting U.S. citizens accused of crimes, fraud, terrorism
The Daily WireTrump Admin Targets Citizenship Of Naturalized Terror Suspects
Overview
On May 8, 2026, federal prosecutors filed denaturalization actions against 12 naturalized U.S. citizens, officials said.
The announcement furthers a Trump administration expansion of denaturalization, which rose to around 25 cases annually during the president's first term from an earlier average of 11 per year, officials said.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said those who concealed criminal histories or misrepresented themselves will face the fullest extent of the law, DOJ officials said.
The administration has filed roughly 35 denaturalization complaints and had secured 15 denaturalization orders as of April, and there are roughly 24 to 26 million naturalized citizens, DOJ officials said.
Denaturalization cases must be adjudicated in federal court as civil or criminal proceedings, and individuals whose citizenship is revoked may face deportation or criminal penalties, legal groups and officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this coverage as a law-and-order policy story by amplifying Justice Department language and emphasizing a "dramatic" increase and a "crackdown." They foreground DOJ statements and examples of alleged terrorists and criminals from many countries while omitting civil-liberties perspectives, shaping a public-safety rationale for denaturalization.