Full Breakdown
DOJ Launches Historic Denaturalization Campaign Targeting 384 Naturalized Citizens
4/25/2026, 12:05:53 AM
Denaturalization Initiative
DOJ identified 384 foreign-born naturalized citizens for denaturalization, moving cases to civil litigators in 39 U.S. attorney offices. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is overseeing the effort, which includes the new National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Legal Context
Under 8 U.S.C. § 1441, citizenship can be revoked for fraud or misrepresentation. Historically, 305 denaturalizations occurred from 1990-2017 (?11 per year) and about 120 from 2017-2023. The Trump administration previously instructed DHS to refer >200 potential cases monthly.
Key Figures
Todd Blanche – Acting Attorney General; Matthew Tragesser – DOJ deputy director for communications; Abigail Jackson – White House spokeswoman; Francey Hakes – Director, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys; Amanda Frost – University of Virginia law professor; Lucas Guttentag – former DOJ official, Stanford Law School.
Data Snapshot
384 targets; 2024 naturalizations 818,000; DOJ expects referral volume to surpass all cases filed under the Biden administration.
Statements
DOJ deputy director Matthew Tragesser said the agency is pursuing a volume of denaturalization referrals. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called citizenship fraud a serious crime. U.S. Attorney director Francey Hakes described the 384 cases as “the first wave” and said she hopes the workload will not overburden offices.
Criticism
Amanda Frost warned the campaign signals that naturalized citizens lack the same rights as native-born Americans. Lucas Guttentag warned the mass approach could distort the law and undermine long-standing citizenship principles. Analysts note diverting civil division resources may weaken other enforcement priorities.
Conflicts
Newsmax cites Jackson saying the effort follows existing law, while other sources describe it as a White House priority. The legal basis for each of the 384 cases has not been disclosed, and no outcome data are yet available.
Quotes
“The Department of Justice is laser-focused on rooting out criminal aliens defrauding the naturalization process.” — Matthew Tragesser, DOJ Deputy Director for Communications
“Citizenship fraud is a serious crime; anyone who has broken the law and obtained citizenship through fraud and deceit will be held accountable.” — Abigail Jackson, White House Spokeswoman
“These 384 cases are the first wave, and I hope they will not be too much of an additional burden on our offices.” — Francey Hakes, Director, Executive Office for United States Attorneys
“The message it sends is that naturalized citizens don’t have the same rights and stability as native-born citizens.” — Amanda Frost, Law Professor, University of Virginia
“This kind of mass denaturalization campaign will be based on a distortion of the law and is another transparent effort to destabilize long-established principles of U.S. citizenship.” — Lucas Guttentag, Former DOJ Official, Stanford Law School
Next
Prosecutors will receive assignments on July 1; civil complaints will be filed while criminal actions proceed where appropriate. Courts are slated to hear the cases in the coming months, shaping future enforcement of citizenship fraud.
