Recent Changes in Denaturalization
This summer, the Department of Justice’s Civil Division was called to action in furtherance of the Trump Administration’s current policy objectives, including an increased emphasis on denaturalization. At the Law Offices of Kenneth Pham, we aim to keep our clients and community well-informed, so, to better understand the implications of this order, let us first define the term: Denaturalization refers to the legal process of revoking a naturalized citizen’s status. In the past, denaturalization was generally limited to extreme offenses, including intentional naturalization fraud (proven in a court of law), terrorism, and war crimes. What has changed? As of June 11th, 2025, the Trump Administration has expanded the categories for denaturalization. These additions to existing denaturalization categories put more citizens at risk of being denaturalized. New categories include, but are not limited to:
Individuals who committed financial fraud, including “Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Medicaid/Medicare fraud”.
Individuals who became naturalized “through government corruption”.
Individuals with pending criminal charges.
Any case that the Department of Justice deems worthy of pursuit.
So far, the Department of Justice has been unclear as to what defines “government corruption” or a case worthy of pursuit.Moreover, in the past, denaturalizations could be pursued as either criminal or civil proceedings depending on the nature of the case. Now, the Department of Justice suggests that some criminal cases might be pursued as civil cases instead. To the accused, this is the difference between having 1) a right to legal counsel and 2) a right to defend themselves in court.
In uncertain times, it is our goal as an immigration law firm to combat the added stress our clients and community experience as a result of these changes. If you are concerned for your status or looking for more information, contact us today at (803) 792-1159.
Source: https://www.aila.org/library/policy-brief-denaturalization-and-the-administration-s-targeting-of-u-s-citizens
