The Justice Department announced on Monday that federal prosecutors had filed 40 denaturalisation petitions against naturalised US citizens, accusing them of concealing criminal acts and other facts during their citizenship applications. The announcement covers cases submitted from late August through early October and is described as the largest volume of denaturalisation petitions in such a short period under President Donald Trump.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said: "Today's announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history. Under President Trump's leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people."
The 40 citizens targeted include people from Mexico, Pakistan, China and Sierra Leone. Their criminal convictions largely came after they took their oaths of citizenship, but prosecutors allege that committing these crimes before becoming citizens meant they lacked "good moral character" and should have been denied citizenship. Two individuals on the list are also accused of engaging in espionage on behalf of China.
Denaturalisation laws have existed in the US for decades but have historically been reserved for serious crimes. After World War II, the government used them against citizens accused of concealing involvement in the Holocaust or engaging in war crimes. Notable cases include Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian-born anarchist who was denaturalised and deported to the Soviet Union. The practice became much less frequent after the Cold War.
The Trump administration has sought to expand denaturalisation as part of its push to conduct the largest deportation operation in US history. Under US law, prosecutors can ask courts to strip citizenship from those born outside the country if they wilfully concealed a "material fact" during their application that would have disqualified them.
Human rights groups have pushed back against the expanded use of denaturalisation, arguing it could leave people stateless. Critics have also warned that Trump has sought to leverage the process against specific groups he perceives as political rivals or enemies. Last year, the administration indicated it was looking at denaturalising Somali Americans for alleged fraud.