The Trump Justice Department announced on Monday that it has filed 25 new lawsuits to strip U.S. citizenship from naturalized immigrants who have committed serious crimes on American soil.
This measure, which the government describes as "the largest denaturalization effort in history", includes individuals who have been convicted of first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
"Today marks the largest increase in denaturalizations in recorded history," said Brett Schumate, one of the government prosecutors. "Each of these individuals committed crimes incompatible with U.S. citizenship. We are moving at record speed to denaturalize those who sought to deceive the federal government and abuse the naturalization process," he added.
The Trump administration will revoke citizenship from naturalized immigrants who have committed serious crimes
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Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 to serve his second term, his administration has filed 123 civil denaturalization lawsuits, the highest number recorded in U.S. legal history.
"U.S. citizenship is one of the highest privileges of our nation and must be obtained legally and honestly," declared acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "The lawsuits announced today allege that these individuals obtained naturalization through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct, including covering up violent crimes, sexual offenses against minors, fraudulent identities, and other disqualifying acts."
"Today's filings represent the largest coordinated denaturalization effort in the department's history, but they are just the beginning," said the official leading the Justice Department.
Denaturalization cases are complex, and in recent years only about 300 such cases have been filed until Trump returned to power, as government lawyers must prove in a civil or criminal court that citizenship was obtained illegally or through fraud.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is leading this initiative
