Trump Orders DOJ To Strip Citizenship From Convicted Criminals

In a bold move to restore law and order to America’s immigration system, the Trump administration has directed the Department of Justice to aggressively denaturalize individuals who obtained U.S. citizenship fraudulently or who pose a serious threat to national security.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate issued a June 11 memo calling on DOJ attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings” against foreign nationals convicted of crimes particularly those involving terrorism, espionage, and child exploitation.

The memo outlines a national strategy focused on:

• National security threats including individuals with ties to terrorism or foreign intelligence services.

• Sex offenders and child predators particularly those who concealed criminal backgrounds during the naturalization process.

• Fraudulent naturalization cases where citizenship was obtained through deceit or misrepresentation.

One such case involved a man who became a citizen in 2012 despite a concealed criminal record, including offenses related to child sexual abuse material. After lying on his naturalization forms, he was later convicted and the DOJ swiftly moved to strip him of his fraudulently obtained citizenship.

“If you commit serious crimes before you become a U.S. citizen and then lie about them during your naturalization process, the Justice Department will discover the truth and come after you,” said Shumate.

This crackdown comes as part of a broader effort under President Trump to dismantle the failed immigration framework left by the Biden administration. Under Trump’s leadership, DOJ is working closely with ICE to track down and prosecute naturalized individuals who never should have received American citizenship in the first place.

Between 2018 and 2020, more than 110 individuals were referred for denaturalization proceedings, but the pace slowed under Biden. Trump’s directive signals a return to accountability and an end to free passes for foreign criminals.

The Trump administration is proving once again that American citizenship is a privilege, not a right and it must be earned, not stolen.

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