The WatchlistWatch 17
This is a Watchlist entry. It is a developing story reported by credible outlets that hasn't reached a court ruling, official finding or documented harm yet. It says what to watch for. If that happens, it moves to The Record.
'The largest denaturalization effort in modern history'
Developing means: Reported by credible outlets, but no ruling, official finding or documented harm yet.
On Oct. 5, 2026 the Justice Department announced that between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2 it had filed 40 lawsuits to strip naturalized Americans of their citizenship, which Attorney General Todd Blanche called the largest denaturalization effort in modern history. A department spokesperson told Axios it has filed more than 200 such cases so far and is on track for its goal of 250 by the end of October.
What happened
Denaturalization requires a federal judge to find, by clear and convincing evidence, that someone obtained citizenship illegally or concealed a material fact that would have disqualified them. The 40 people named were convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes including money laundering conspiracy, sexual abuse of a minor, visa fraud and tax evasion, and two are accused of spying for China; prosecutors say most of the convictions came after the oath and that the underlying conduct showed the applicants lacked good moral character.
For decades the tool was used rarely, mostly against people who had hidden war crimes or Holocaust involvement. The New York Times reported in April that the department had identified 384 people whose citizenship it wanted to revoke, and Axios reported in May that USCIS lawyers were temporarily moved to U.S. attorneys' offices to work on the cases. Human rights groups warn that expanding the practice could leave people stateless, and critics point to Trump's talk of denaturalizing people he opposes: last year the administration said it would seek to denaturalize large numbers of Somali Americans after daycare fraud allegations in Minnesota, Trump has floated taking citizenship from Elon Musk, and he has suggested New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, might be in the country illegally, a claim Al Jazeera says is false.
What to watch for
Whether courts grant or reject the petitions, and on what grounds; whether the effort reaches people with no criminal conviction, such as the Somali Americans Trump named or political figures; and whether the department meets its 250-case goal and sets a new one.
The administration's side
Blanche says the department will keep using denaturalization to protect national security and the American people. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said every one of the 40 people 'lied their way into U.S. citizenship.' The department says it remains on track to meet its objectives, with more cases to come.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/w-denaturalize/