In a recent interview with CBS News in Phoenix, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Trump administration’s expanded efforts to revoke the citizenship of certain foreign-born Americans, emphasizing that individuals who obtained U.S. citizenship fraudulently should be “worried.”
Denaturalization Efforts Expanded
Blanche touted the second Trump administration’s commitment to pursuing more denaturalization cases than in the past nine years, signaling a ramped-up focus on individuals who may have obtained citizenship illegally. “If you’re going to come and become a citizen in this country, but you’re going to do it by fraud, you’re going to do it in a way that’s illegal, you should be worried,” he stated.
He did not specify who is being targeted but hinted at a broader effort, saying, “Unfortunately, there are a lot of individuals who are citizens who shouldn’t be.” Blanche declined to provide a specific number of naturalized citizens who might lose their citizenship, adding that the administration is not limiting its scrutiny to any particular group.
The Legal Process and Criteria for Denaturalization
Denaturalization is a complex legal process that requires proving that an individual obtained U.S. citizenship through fraudulent means, such as by lying on their citizenship application.
Historically, the U.S. Department of Justice has reserved denaturalization actions for egregious cases involving national security threats, human rights abuses, or violent offenders. Between 1990 and 2017, fewer than 300 denaturalization cases were filed, an average of around 11 per year.
However, under the Trump administration, the Justice Department has broadened the scope of denaturalization efforts to include individuals accused of financial fraud, marking a shift in strategy. Last year, the department issued a memo instructing officials to prioritize denaturalization for these cases.
Concerns and Reactions from Naturalized Citizens
The increased focus on denaturalization has raised concerns among naturalized citizens, a group that comprised 24 million people in 2023.
Blanche dismissed these concerns, stating he did not understand why naturalized citizens who did not fraudulently obtain their citizenship would be worried. “I don’t think it’s true that those 24 million citizens are worried,” he said. “I think there’s a very small percentage of them who are worried. And yes, they should be.”
Blanche also voiced his belief that the denaturalization campaign should not be seen as controversial, emphasizing that fraud and lies should not be tolerated. He acknowledged that revoking someone’s citizenship is a severe measure but pointed out that committing fraud to gain citizenship is equally severe.
The Road Ahead
The denaturalization campaign is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize legal immigrants and their citizenship status. While critics of the campaign have expressed concern about its potential impact on lawful immigrants, Blanche’s comments indicate that the government remains steadfast in its pursuit of those it deems to have obtained their citizenship improperly.
