The Trump administration is expanding efforts to revoke U.S. citizenship from foreign-born individuals who obtained naturalization through fraud, according to newly issued guidance to federal immigration officials.
Personnel at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services were instructed this week to identify and refer between 100 and 200 denaturalization cases per month to the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation, The New York Times reported, citing internal agency communications.
USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser confirmed the policy shift in a statement, saying the agency is prioritizing cases involving individuals who allegedly lied or misrepresented information during the naturalization process.
“It’s no secret that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ war on fraud includes prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship,” Tragesser said. “We will pursue denaturalization proceedings for those individuals lying or misrepresenting themselves during the naturalization process.”
According to Department of Justice data cited by The New York Times, more than 120 denaturalization cases have been filed since 2017. The new guidance represents a significant increase in the scale of enforcement.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration fraud cases nationwide, including a review ordered by the Justice Department earlier this year directing U.S. attorneys to prioritize denaturalization proceedings involving individuals who may pose public safety or national security concerns.
While USCIS has not named specific individuals under review, the expanded enforcement effort coincides with renewed attention on allegations involving Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. President Donald Trump and his border enforcement officials have publicly stated that the administration is reviewing claims of immigration fraud related to Omar’s naturalization. Omar has denied wrongdoing and said investigators will find no evidence supporting the allegations.
Omar, who was born in Somalia, entered the United States as a refugee in the 1990s and became a naturalized citizen in 2000, according to public records. USCIS has not confirmed whether she is among the cases being reviewed.
Federal officials have pointed to prior denaturalization cases as examples of the program’s focus. In one recent case, the government stripped Salvadoran-born immigrant Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara of his U.S. citizenship after determining he had concealed his criminal history during the naturalization process. Court records show Graciano Lara later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child sexual abuse committed after he became a U.S. citizen.
Under federal law, individuals found to have obtained citizenship through fraud can face criminal penalties, loss of citizenship, and removal from the United States.
The United States is home to approximately 26 million naturalized citizens, according to Census Bureau data. USCIS reported swearing in more than 800,000 new citizens between October 2023 and September 2024.
Administration officials say the expanded denaturalization effort is intended to reinforce the integrity of the legal immigration system by ensuring citizenship is granted only to those who lawfully qualify.
