Trump Administration Targets 12 Naturalized Citizens for Possible Denaturalization

The targeted individuals are accused of fraud or other misdeeds that officials say can qualify them for denaturalization. The process has rarely been invoked in previous years. Denaturalization allows the government to strip citizenship from individuals who obtained it through naturalization if certain conditions are met.

The effort marks an increase in the use of a tool that historically saw limited application.

The legal process requires the government to prove in federal court that citizenship was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. Once citizenship is revoked, a person reverts to their prior immigration status and may face deportation proceedings.

No further details on the specific individuals or the nature of the accusations were disclosed in the report. Officials have not commented publicly on the timing or the exact criteria used to select these cases. The report did not indicate when proceedings might begin or whether all 12 cases will ultimately result in revoked citizenship.

Denaturalization has been used sparingly over the decades.

Most applications of the process have involved serious crimes such as war crimes or terrorism-related offenses rather than routine fraud cases. The current effort comes as the administration has signaled a broader focus on immigration enforcement. The 12 cases represent one element of that approach, though the full scope remains unclear.