❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a directive urging U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the denaturalization of foreign-born criminals to address crime and national security threats.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, and U.S. Attorneys.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The memo was issued in June 2025 and applies nationwide.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a person’s United States citizenship if an individual either ‘illegally procured’ naturalization or procured naturalization by ‘concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.’” – Brett Shumate
🎯IMPACT: The directive aims to deport migrants who pose a threat to national security, combat financial fraud, and target those involved in crimes such as human trafficking and gang activity, even if they have acquired U.S. citizenship.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a memo directing U.S. Attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings” as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to combat crime and protect national security. The memo, signed by Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, outlines categories of individuals who should be targeted for denaturalization, including those tied to terrorism, espionage, or the unlawful export of sensitive goods and technology.
Shumate emphasized the importance of these proceedings in a written statement, noting, “The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport.”
The memo also directs U.S. Attorneys to pursue cases against migrants who committed financial fraud against the United States, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud and Medicare/Medicaid fraud, as well as those involved in violent crimes, human trafficking, and sex offenses. It further calls for action against migrants with criminal gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and drug cartels.
Two days after the memo was issued, the Justice Department announced it had successfully secured the denaturalization of a convicted distributor of child sexual abuse material.
Shumate has instructed the Civil Division of the Justice Department to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.”
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