Justice Department Files to Denaturalize 12 for Concealing Terrorist Support and War Crimes

The Department of Justice filed denaturalization complaints against 12 individuals in various U.S. district courts on May 8, 2026, according to a department press release.

The cases target naturalized U.S. citizens who allegedly failed to disclose material support to a designated terrorist organization, participation in war crimes, espionage activities, sexual abuse of a minor and other offenses at the time they applied for citizenship. The release lists the 12 as defendants in separate civil actions but does not name them individually in the summary.

Scope of the enforcement covers 12 separate defendants whose concealed conduct spans multiple categories of national-security and criminal violations. Each faces a civil complaint seeking revocation of citizenship obtained through naturalization; successful judgments would render them removable aliens under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The filings change the legal status of the 12 from U.S. citizens to defendants in civil denaturalization proceedings. Prior to the complaints they held full rights of citizenship; once served, they must answer the allegations in federal district court. No fixed trial dates are listed in the release.

Downstream, district courts must now schedule initial hearings and manage discovery on the underlying conduct. A final judgment of denaturalization in any case will trigger Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or removal proceedings. The actions also alert other federal agencies that previously granted benefits tied to citizenship status, requiring them to review eligibility for programs such as Social Security, passports and federal employment.

Parallel criminal prosecution remains available if statutes of limitation permit.

This marks the latest use of the department’s denaturalization authority to address fraud in the naturalization process. The department has pursued similar actions in prior years against individuals who omitted wartime conduct or terrorist ties during citizenship applications, consistent with long-standing enforcement under 8 U.S.C. § 1451.