Trump Administration Moves to Denaturalize 17 Naturalized Citizens

On Monday, the Justice Department filed civil denaturalization complaints in district courts nationwide, seeking to revoke U.S. citizenship for 17 foreign-born individuals. Prosecutors allege each concealed material facts—such as prior crimes or immigration fraud—during naturalization, violating the Immigration and Nationality Act.

New York TimesNewsweekThe Hill

Denaturalization has been rare, averaging 11 cases per year from 1990-2017. The Trump administration raised the annual total to about 25; the Biden administration filed 24 cases, per a DOJ official. The filing follows a May submission of 12 cases and a DHS directive that generated over 200 referrals per month.

CNN

The DOJ list includes Cuban Leidys Delmas Garcia (health-care fraud), Colombian-born Andrea Marroquin (fraudulent real-estate and bank-fraud), Jamaican Talman Harris (stock manipulation), Indian Neeraj Sharma (visa fraud), Dominican Federico Michel Fermin (prescription-drug distribution), and several others convicted of sexual abuse of minors. Eleven of the 17 are from Latin America and the Caribbean, three from Asia, two from Africa, and one from Europe.

Newsweek

Seventeen denaturalization actions were filed in June 2026; about 130 cases have been filed nationwide from 2017-July 2025. Historically the average was 11 cases per year (1990-2017). Charges include health-care fraud, drug trafficking, visa fraud and sexual abuse of minors.

New York Times

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department “maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process.” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said citizenship “is a privilege that must be earned honestly” and that the administration “will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens,” framing the actions as enforcement of existing law.

CNN

Critics say the expanded denaturalization effort risks unfairly stripping citizenship from former immigrants and broadening deportation beyond unlawful residents. The White House counters the government is merely applying rules previously enforced more loosely.

New York Times

If courts uphold the complaints, the 17 individuals could lose citizenship and face removal. The initiative signals a strategic shift toward civil denaturalization as a key tool in immigration enforcement, potentially reshaping the naturalization landscape and affecting future applicants’ view of legal stability.

New York Times

• “Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General

CNN

• “We will continue to use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove aliens.” — Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security

New York Times

• “American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly.” — Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security

The Hill

• “When criminal aliens exploit the naturalization process by breaking the law, there are consequences,” — Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security

The Hill

The cases will proceed before federal judges, who must decide whether the government meets the high evidentiary standard required to revoke citizenship; additional denaturalization actions are expected.

New York Times