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The United States government has issued a new directive authorizing the revocation of citizenship for naturalized Americans convicted of certain criminal activities.
Naturalized Americans are people who were born outside the U.S. but later became U.S. citizens through a legal process after meeting certain requirements, like living in the U.S. for several years and passing a citizenship test.
The directive was outlined in an internal memo published on June 11, 2025, which provides legal grounds for government attorneys to launch civil proceedings against individuals who allegedly obtained US citizenship either illegally or by hiding material facts.
According to The Guardian, at the center of the move is an estimate of 25 million US citizens who immigrated to the country after being born abroad.
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According to the memo, unlike criminal proceedings, those subjected to civil proceedings are not entitled to an attorney.
This allows the government to pursue revocation even in situations where a criminal conviction has not been secured or is not feasible.
The memo claims such efforts will focus on those convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the US.
“In the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses … [and] naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the US,” they stated
It further extends to cases where individuals misrepresented facts on immigration forms, cases where there is financial fraud or medical fraud against the US or against private individuals, and cases referred by a US attorney’s office or in connection with pending criminal charges.
First denaturalization under new directive
On 13 June, a federal judge ordered the revocation of citizenship for Elliott Duke, a US military veteran originally from the United Kingdom.
Duke had been convicted of distributing child sexual abuse material, a fact he failed to disclose during his naturalization process.
His case became the first publicly known denaturalization under the new directive and is expected to serve as a model for how the DOJ intends to implement the policy going forward.
Immigration lawyers raise concerns
Immigration advocates and legal experts have raised concerns over the implications of the memo, warning that it could lead to the erosion of rights for naturalized citizens.
Sameera Hafiz, policy director of the Immigration Legal Resource Center, expressed concern that the policy is creating a second class of U.S. citizens, where naturalized Americans may not have the same protections as those born in the country.
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The Justice Department’s civil rights division traditionally focused on fighting racial discrimination, has been tasked with enforcing the policy and other key Trump-era policies, including ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the government as well as ending transgender treatments, among other initiatives.
The shift in priorities has reportedly led to internal turmoil. According to National Public Radio, around 70% of the division’s legal staff, about 250 attorneys, had exited the agency between January and the end of May.
Recent actions by the department include investigations into university programs that factor in race and ethnicity, such as at the University of Virginia, where President Jim Ryan resigned amid a federal probe.
The division also filed lawsuits against 15 federal judges in Maryland, challenging an order that blocks immediate deportations of migrants fighting removal
Historically, denaturalization has been reserved for extreme cases—think war criminals or fraudsters who concealed prior convictions—amounting to fewer than 150 cases between 1968 and 2013
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But now, Civil Division head Brett Shumate is urging U.S. attorneys to “maximally pursue” stripping citizenship in a broader set of alleged offenses—including lesser crimes with no prior allegations of fraud or deception. Immigration law experts warn this marks a significant shift and raises serious due process concerns—most denaturalization cases are civil, meaning they lack jury trials or the higher burden of proof typical in criminal cases.
The move also taps into broader fears: if one administration can target specific groups under expansive definitions of criminality or fraud, what safeguards exist against misuse or political weaponization? The View host Ana Navarro raised this exact concern, noting that if naturalized citizens can have their status revoked, even First Lady Melania Trump—also naturalized—could in theory be at risk.