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NewsCBS News PoliticsMay 7, 2026United States

Justice Department Increasing Efforts to Revoke Citizenship for Fraud

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Trump administration is significantly increasing efforts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans who allegedly obtained their status through fraud. The Justice Department is now prioritizing a broader range of cases, including financial fraud, moving beyond the historical focus on human rights abusers and national security threats.

immigrationcitizenshipjustice departmentfraudlegal proceedings
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Why It Matters

Naturalized U.S. citizens who are accused of obtaining their citizenship through fraudulent means face an increased risk of federal legal proceedings to revoke their citizenship status.

Key Facts

  • The Justice Department is currently pursuing more denaturalization cases than at any point in the last nine years.
  • The administration has expanded the criteria for denaturalization to include financial fraud, whereas it was previously limited to human rights abusers, violent offenders, and national security threats.
  • Revoking citizenship requires a federal court proceeding where the government must prove the individual obtained citizenship through fraud, such as lying on an application.
  • Between 1990 and 2017, the federal government filed 300 denaturalization cases, averaging 11 per year.
  • There were 24 million naturalized citizens in the U.S. as of 2023.
  • The Justice Department, not the Department of Homeland Security, holds the authority to revoke citizenship.
  • Individuals targeted for denaturalization have the right to challenge the proceedings in court.

Who's Mentioned

organizationJustice Department“Responsible for revoking citizenship through federal court proceedings”organizationTrump administration“Current federal administration overseeing the denaturalization campaign”dollar_amount300“Total denaturalization cases filed between 1990 and 2017”other24 million“Total population of naturalized citizens in 2023”dollar_amount11“Annual average of denaturalization cases filed between 1990 and 2017”personTodd Blanche“Acting Attorney General of the United States”organizationDepartment of Homeland Security“Oversees most components of the U.S. immigration system”