The U.S. Department of Justice has identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it is seeking to revoke as part of a broader effort to expedite denaturalization proceedings, a report said.
Senior Justice Department officials told colleagues at a meeting last week that civil litigators across the country would be tasked with pursuing the cases, The New York Times reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The move signals a significant expansion of efforts to strip citizenship from individuals who allegedly obtained it illegally.
Cases will be assigned nationwide
According to the news outlet, prosecutors in 39 regional U.S. attorney’s offices are expected to be assigned denaturalization cases involving targeted individuals.
The aim of the plan is to spread the workload across multiple jurisdictions to speed up court proceedings.
It remains unclear what specific factors led the department to identify the 384 individuals.
Legal basis for revocation of citizenship
Under US federal law, authorities can seek to revoke citizenship from naturalized individuals if it was obtained by fraud, concealment or misrepresentation of key facts.
This includes cases such as sham marriages, withholding critical personal history or certain criminal acts. The government must present evidence in court, so denaturalization is a legally complex and often time-consuming process.
Part of the wider immigration agenda
The renewed push reflects the Trump administration’s broader immigration strategy, which emphasizes tougher enforcement. Officials have described US citizenship as a privilege that can be revoked under certain legal conditions.
Citizenship screening process
Becoming a US citizen requires extensive background checks. Applicants must:
-Uncover travel history and any legal issues
-Answer questions about affiliation, including political ties
-Pass English language and civics tests
Eligibility usually requires holding a green card for at least five years, or three years in cases involving marriage to a US citizen.
Rights and Restrictions
Naturalized citizens enjoy almost all the rights of those born in the United States, including the right to vote and work freely.
But they are barred from running for president — a key distinction that remains under US law.
