Federal Policy

DOJ Targets 250 Denaturalization Cases by October 2026

The expansion represents a measurable escalation of a denaturalization initiative that relies on existing legal authority but has historically been used sparingly, raising questions about case...

The Congressional Times · June 18, 2026

The Trump administration is pursuing the revocation of U.S. citizenship for more than 250 foreign-born naturalized citizens by October 2026, according to a Justice Department official cited by CBS News on June 18, 2026. The figure represents a planned caseload target, not completed revocations, and the DOJ official did not specify how many cases are currently active in federal court.

Denaturalization proceedings are initiated through federal civil or criminal court actions. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1451, the government may seek to revoke naturalization obtained by concealment of material facts, willful misrepresentation, or illegal procurement. The statute requires a judicial finding; citizenship cannot be administratively revoked without court approval.

Historical usage of denaturalization has been limited. The DOJ's Denaturalization Section, established in 2020 during the first Trump administration, handled a comparatively small caseload in its initial years, with publicly reported cases largely involving individuals accused of concealing war crimes, terrorism connections, or fraud in the naturalization process, according to prior DOJ press releases available in the department's public newsroom.

The CBS News report does not specify the alleged grounds for the approximately 250 targeted cases, the nationalities of those targeted, or the geographic distribution of the proceedings. It is unknown whether the cases involve allegations consistent with the historical fraud and concealment basis or reflect an expanded definition of grounds for revocation. The DOJ's filed complaints in individual cases would be public court records accessible through PACER, the federal court electronic filing system, and would reveal the specific legal basis alleged in each matter.

Civil liberties organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union have previously stated concerns about the government's use of denaturalization authority, though no federal court has issued a ruling limiting the administration's current initiative as of the date of this report. The outcome of the 250-case target — how many result in filed complaints, court hearings, and final judicial orders — would be trackable through PACER and DOJ press releases as proceedings advance toward the October timeline.

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