Trump wants to revoke the citizenship of some naturalized Americans: What to know
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President Trump. Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images
President Trump on Sunday said that he would "absolutely" denaturalize certain Americans if he could.
The big picture: The Trump administration has intensified its immigration crackdown after last week's deadly attack on National Guard members, with the president placing naturalized Americans in his crosshairs as well.
What they're saying: "We have criminals that came into our country and they were naturalized maybe through [former President Joe] Biden or somebody that didn't know what they were doing," Trump told reporters on Sunday.
- "If I have the power to do it — I'm not sure that I do, but if I do — I would denaturalize, absolutely."
- Trump also repeated previous anti-immigrant comments, criticizing people from Somalia who have been living in the U.S., and threatening to pause new asylum claims for "a long time."
- "We don't want those people. Does that make sense? You know why we don't want them? Because many have been no good and they shouldn't be in our country."
The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Flashback: The U.S. Department of Justice is now prioritizing stripping naturalized Americans of their citizenship when charged with certain crimes, according to a June memo.
Yes, but: For revocation of naturalization, the U.S. Attorney's Office needs to file charges in federal court.
- "The government holds a high burden of proof when attempting to revoke a person's naturalization," per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Here's what to know about the Trump administration's threats to naturalized citizens:
What naturalized citizenship is
Naturalization "is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a lawful permanent resident after meeting the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)," per USCIS.
What Trump has said about naturalized citizens following the National Guard shooting
Trump's comments after the shooting have involved renewed threats to naturalized U.S. citizens.
- In his lengthy Thanksgiving Truth Social post, Trump said that he would "end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."
Reality check: A wealth of research shows that immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S.-born people.
- A 2023 study led by Stanford University economist Ran Abramitzky found that immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than their U.S.-born counterparts.
- Relative to the U.S.-born, the researchers found, immigrants' incarceration rates have declined since 1960.
The Justice Department's targeting of naturalized citizens
The Justice Department directed attorneys this summer to prioritize denaturalization in cases where naturalized citizens commit specific crimes.
- At the time, a department spokesperson told Axios that "denaturalization proceedings will only be pursued as permitted by law and supported by evidence against individuals who illegally procured or misrepresented facts in the naturalization process."
- "Those who gain citizenship through unlawful means and endanger our national security will not maintain the benefits of being an American citizen," the statement said.
Zoom in: The Justice Department is targeting those charged with war crimes, gang activity, extrajudicial killings, and "other serious human rights abuses," the department said in June.
- It also directs Civil Division attorneys to investigate "any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States."
How many immigrants are naturalized citizens
By the numbers: Out of the 46.2 million immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022, 24.5 million – 53% – are naturalized citizens, according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis of government data.
Who is eligible to become a naturalized citizen
Zoom out: In the past decade, the U.S. naturalized more than 7.9 million citizens, according to the USCIS.
- Naturalized citizens undergo an involved application process, but eligibility criteria include being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, with exceptions for spouses of citizens and members of the U.S. military.
- The median years spent as a permanent resident for all naturalized citizens in 2024 was 7.5 years.
The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that naturalization applicants pass tests proving their English language abilities and knowledge of U.S. history.
How many citizens have been denaturalized
By the numbers: From 1990 to 2017, the DOJ filed 305 denaturalization cases, about 11 per year, according to The Miami Herald.
The number has surged since Trump's first term.
- Irina Manta, a Hofstra University law professor who compiles denaturalization cases, found 168 denaturalization cases filed in federal courts during Trump's first term in office and 64 during Biden's.
- That's an average of 42 per year under Trump and 16 under Biden.
Since January 2017, the USCIS has selected some 2,500 cases for possible denaturalization and referred at least 110 denaturalization cases to the Justice Department for prosecution by the end of August 2018.
At least one person was denaturalized after a conviction this year.
- That person was a convicted collector and distributor of child sexual abuse material who immigrated from the United Kingdom, per the Justice Department.
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