Mass Denaturalization Effort Underway

US Justice Department Files Lawsuits in Largest Denaturalization Effort in Modern History

The US Justice Department has initiated the largest denaturalization effort in modern history, filing multiple lawsuits across the country seeking the removal of U.S. citizenship of 40 foreign-born individuals accused of serious offenses such as child sexual abuse, fraud, and tax evasion. The cases were filed between Aug. 10 and Oct. 2. Nine of the individuals are from Mexico, four are from Pakistan, and two are from China. Other cases involved individuals from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iran, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Peru, the Philippines, the U.K., and Venezuela. The process of denaturalizing individuals has become more common during President Trump's presidency, with an average of 11 cases filed per year increasing to 25 in his first four years as President. An unnamed department official told CNN in June 2026 that the Administration plans to file at least 250 denaturalisation cases by this October.