(C) Swissinfo
The Trump administration is signaling a dramatic shift in immigration policy, moving beyond border enforcement to target naturalized citizens. According to internal documents obtained by the New York Times, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instructed field offices to refer 100 to 200 denaturalization cases per month to the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) starting in fiscal year 2026.
This represents a massive escalation. For comparison, the Department of Justice filed only about 120 denaturalization cases in total between 2017 and 2024. The new directive suggests a nearly twenty-fold increase in efforts to strip citizenship from those who have already sworn their oaths.
Targeting "Fraud" and Criminal Records USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated that prioritizing the fight against fraud—especially cases from previous administrations—is a key mission. The Department of Justice has identified specific priority categories, including:
- Individuals with gang or drug cartel affiliations.
- Those involved in financial fraud or violent crimes.
- Individuals who allegedly concealed material facts during their naturalization process.
Legal Hurdles and Social Impact Under federal law, stripping citizenship is a complex judicial process. The government must prove in federal court that the individual obtained naturalization illegally or through willful misrepresentation of material facts. However, immigrant advocacy groups fear this "weaponization" of the law could create a "second-class citizenship," where naturalized Americans live in constant fear of clerical errors or past omissions being used against them.
With over 26 million naturalized citizens in the U.S., primarily from Mexico, India, and the Philippines, this policy change marks a profound turning point in the American identity as a "refuge for the tired and poor."
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