Story perspectives

Justice Dept Files Record 250 Denaturalizations Targeting Fraud, Trafficking

6/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Justice Department will file over 250 denaturalization lawsuits this fiscal year, a record.
President Donald Trump’s administration aims to revoke citizenship of over 250 naturalized Americans by Sept. 30, 2026, after a June memo broadened denaturalization priorities to include human trafficking, fraud schemes and other offenses.
Florida filings target a Haitian convicted of sexual abuse, an Argentine convicted of passport fraud and a Cuban convicted of a $37 million health-care fraud scheme.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act on September 30 1996, effective April 1 1997, expanding removal, denaturalization, and adding expedited removal. The law lifted annual deportations from roughly 20,000 to over 180,000. The Trump administration now seeks to revive federal denaturalization prosecutions, echoing the Clinton-era precedent in U.S. immigration policy.

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Story summary

The Justice Department will file over 250 denaturalization lawsuits this fiscal year, a record.
President Donald Trump’s administration aims to revoke citizenship of over 250 naturalized Americans by Sept. 30, 2026, after a June memo broadened denaturalization priorities to include human trafficking, fraud schemes and other offenses.
Florida filings target a Haitian convicted of sexual abuse, an Argentine convicted of passport fraud and a Cuban convicted of a $37 million health-care fraud scheme.

1 / 2