Trump DOJ Files 64 Denaturalization Cases in 16 Months, Targeting Fraud, Child Sex Abuse, Terrorism and War Crimes

The Trump Justice Department filed 64 denaturalization cases in the last 16 months, exceeding the total filed during all four years of the Biden administration, according to available data. NPR reviewed 34 publicly announced cases filed or resolved by the DOJ as of May 19 and found 11 resulted in citizenship revocations.

The cases largely involve allegations of fraud, child sexual abuse, terrorism-related activity, war crimes and drug trafficking.

In one case the DOJ revoked the citizenship of Melchor Munoz after a federal judge found his testimony not credible following a two-day trial. Munoz, who resides in Florida and is now on a green card, plans to appeal.

U.S. Citizen in 2016. U.S. to people in Ukraine and Italy and of theft of government money by underreporting assets on federal housing applications.

The DOJ filed its denaturalization case in September; Volgaev’s citizenship was revoked on March 23 after neither he nor an attorney appeared in court. The DOJ filed a case against Elliott Duke in February 2025 while Duke was serving a federal prison sentence for distributing child pornography. A federal judge revoked Duke’s citizenship roughly four months later.

U.S. attorneys offices across the country have been assigned hundreds of additional potential denaturalization cases, a person familiar with the matter said. Leaders at the DOJ have pressured lawyers to generate cases quickly, sometimes by reviewing news stories or social media posts involving naturalized citizens, according to a former DOJ attorney.

Cassandra Robertson, a Case Western Reserve University law professor, said the efforts represent “an attempt to suppress the political speech of naturalized citizens” and expressed concern that the policy could expand beyond individuals with serious criminal convictions.

” Trump and others in the administration have threatened the citizenship of political opponents including New York City Mayor Mamdani and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.