The American law allows denaturalization only in limited circumstances, including cases in which citizenship was obtained through fraud.
The Donald Trump administration is preparing to sharply expand efforts to revoke the citizenship of some naturalized Americans, according to a report, signaling a tougher new phase in the American President’s immigration crackdown.
The guidance, issued on Tuesday to US Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices, directs them to “supply Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month” during the 2026 fiscal year, according to The New York Times.
This is an unprecedented scale of naturalization, according to reports.
The American law allows denaturalization only in limited circumstances, including cases in which citizenship was obtained through fraud.
Many fear losing citizenship
“It’s no secret that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ war on fraud includes prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship — especially under the previous administration,” Matthew J Tragesser, a USCIS spokesman told NYT.
“We will pursue denaturalization proceedings for those individuals lying or misrepresenting themselves during the naturalization process. We look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Justice to restore integrity to America’s immigration system,” they added.
It also reported that a large-scale denaturalization drive could entangle people who made unintentional errors on their citizenship applications and create fear among law-abiding Americans.
The directive comes as Trump has spent much of the year tightening the immigration system, closing perceived loopholes and erecting new barriers for those seeking to enter or remain in the country.
About 26 million naturalized Americans live in the US, according to the US Census Bureau.
More than 800,000 people were sworn in as new citizens last year, with most born in Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic or Vietnam, US Citizenship and Immigration Services data shows.
In most denaturalization cases, individuals lose their citizenship but revert to legal permanent resident status.
The guidance issued on Tuesday was included in a broader document outlining USCIS priorities for the 2026 fiscal year, which began in October.
