The Department of Justice has laid out plans to make denaturalization—revoking someone’s U.S. citizenship—a major priority.
According to a memo that just leaked, dated June 11th, 2025, from Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, the Civil Division of the DOJ has been directed to ramp up efforts to strip citizenship from individuals who allegedly obtained it through fraud or are later found to have committed certain crimes.
The memo outlines how the DOJ plans to pursue civil cases that target individuals who may have “illegally procured” their naturalization or concealed key information during the process. The Civil Division is being told to put extra focus on cases involving national security threats, human rights violations, financial fraud, and connections to terrorism or organized crime.
Specifically, the DOJ will prioritize cases involving:
•People accused of terrorism, espionage, or war crimes
•Those who committed felonies not disclosed during their naturalization process
•Individuals tied to drug cartels or human trafficking
•Those involved in pandemic-era fraud schemes like PPP loan abuse
Even individuals flagged by U.S. Attorneys or referred by federal agencies could face scrutiny under this expanded denaturalization campaign.
The Trump administration’s renewed focus on denaturalization is part to reshape federal civil rights enforcement under a stricter, more punitive vision of immigration policy. With the Civil Division now tasked with these priorities, thousands of naturalized citizens could find their legal status under review.
Whether this push results in sweeping revocations or faces legal hurdles remains to be seen.
