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The Trump administration has begun systematically screening naturalized citizens for possible loss of citizenship, significantly expanding the denaturalization review process nationwide. Officials have reassigned staff to local immigration offices and are identifying 100 to 200 potential cases each month for referral to the Department of Justice, according to people familiar with the effort.
In recent months, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has broadened its review of naturalized citizens across more than 80 field offices. Previously, the agency relied on specialized units to pursue denaturalization cases. However, it has now shifted to a decentralized model. Under the new structure, local office staff actively identify potential cases.
As a result, critics warn that citizenship may no longer function as a final and stable legal status. Each field office reportedly aims to submit a set number of cases monthly to immigration litigation units. Internal discussions have cited a target of 100 to 200 cases per month. Therefore, the volume could quickly surpass the 102 denaturalization lawsuits filed during President Donald Trump’s first four years in office.
Historically, denaturalization was rare. Courts generally limited it to cases involving clear fraud or material misrepresentation during the naturalization process. However, the scope now appears broader. The Department of Justice has instructed prosecutors to prioritize denaturalization cases.
In addition to national security threats and war crimes, authorities are reviewing cases involving government benefit fraud and healthcare fraud. Moreover, internal guidance includes a broad clause covering “any other cases deemed significant.”
Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for USCIS, said the agency reviews naturalized citizens when there is “credible evidence” that citizenship was obtained through fraud or false statements. Since the start of the second Trump administration, 16 denaturalization lawsuits have been filed. The administration has prevailed in seven of those cases.
Immigration attorney Brian Wanseuk Oh said the new approach challenges longstanding assumptions. “There has been a widespread belief that once citizenship is granted, the legal status is effectively settled,” he said. “This policy fundamentally alters that premise.”
He expressed concern about the reported monthly targets. “When quotas are set, investigative standards can loosen,” Oh said. Minor clerical errors or previously overlooked records could become grounds for review.
According to USCIS, about 800,000 people naturalize each year. Approximately 26 million naturalized citizens currently reside in the United States. Many recent citizens live in California, Florida, New York and Texas.
Separately, USCIS has intensified broader immigration fraud enforcement. Over the past year, the agency referred 33,000 suspected fraud cases to investigative authorities. That figure marks a 138% increase from the prior administration’s annual average. Of those cases, more than 21,000 have been investigated, and about 65% resulted in confirmed immigration fraud.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
