By Gloria Nosa
The administration of President Donald Trump is intensifying efforts to revoke U.S. citizenship in cases involving alleged fraud, setting new internal targets for denaturalization proceedings in 2026.
According to reports, guidance issued in late 2025 directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer between 100 and 200 potential denaturalization cases each month to the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation. The directive marks a significant increase compared to historical averages.
Denaturalization — the legal process of revoking U.S. citizenship — has traditionally been rare. Data from the Brennan Center for Justice indicates that from 1990 to 2017, the United States averaged roughly 11 such cases per year. Under federal law, citizenship can generally only be revoked if it was obtained through fraud, concealment of material facts, or willful misrepresentation during the naturalization process.
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said the initiative is focused strictly on cases backed by credible evidence.
“We maintain zero tolerance for fraud in the naturalization process,” he stated, adding that the agency will work closely with the Department of Justice to ensure that citizenship is retained only by individuals who lawfully qualified.
The move follows a June 2025 memorandum from the U.S. Department of Justice, which said the administration would prioritize denaturalization in all cases permitted by law and supported by evidence.
Currently, an estimated 26 million naturalized citizens live in the United States. Over the past decade alone, USCIS reports granting citizenship to nearly 8 million immigrants.
Officials have indicated that enforcement efforts will focus on individuals accused of serious misrepresentation during the naturalization process or those believed to pose national security concerns.
However, immigration lawyers and civil rights advocates have expressed unease about the expanded targets. They argue that increasing case quotas could broaden the scope of enforcement and create uncertainty among naturalized citizens, even as the administration insists the policy is rooted in upholding legal standards and protecting the integrity of the immigration system.
The development signals a sharper emphasis on immigration compliance as part of the administration’s broader policy agenda heading into 2026.
