Justice Department moves to strip citizenship from 17 people in unprecedented denaturalization push

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

The Justice Department announced Monday that it will move to revoke citizenship from 17 people nationwide, marking the latest move in the Trump administration’s unprecedented push to target naturalized citizens.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office, his administration has doubled down on its denaturalization campaign, targeting foreign-born American citizens whom it accuses of fraudulently obtaining US citizenship.

Officials say that some of the people targeted in the latest effort are accused of committing fraud and sexual abuse of a minor.

Denaturalization – the process of revoking citizenship from a naturalized US citizen – is rare and can only occur in federal court. Historically, the US revoked citizenship for a range of reasons, from lying about a person’s date of arrival, age or marital status to political reasons. During World War II, for example, the US reviewed naturalization cases of German Americans who were pro-Nazi.

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1 hr 18 min ago
PUBLISHED Jun 8, 2026, 12:09 PM ET
By Priscilla Alvarez


Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/08/politics/justice-department-strip-citizenship-denaturalization

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Related: Justice Department Moves to Strip U.S. Citizenship from 17 Naturalized Sex Offenders, Fraudsters, Drug Dealers, and More (U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs)

[Wicked Blue]

1. When are they going to strip Melania

of whatever visa, green card or naturalized citizenship she has?

[SSJVegeta]

2. At the bottom:

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

[Lovie777]

3. No can do......

this is harassment. Evil SOBs.

[MichMan]

4. How is it "unprecedented" ?

Denaturalization – the process of revoking citizenship from a naturalized US citizen – is rare and can only occur in federal court. Historically, the US revoked citizenship for a range of reasons, from lying about a person’s date of arrival, age or marital status to political reasons. During World War II, for example, the US reviewed naturalization cases of German Americans who were pro-Nazi.

Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department filed 24 denaturalization cases, according to a DOJ official. The Trump administration has already outpaced that within the last year.

[maxsolomon]

5. So, Rupert Murdoch?

Because granting that fucker citizenship was some BULLSHIT.

[PatSeg]

8. And how about

Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh D'Souza, and of course, Elon Musk?

[CousinIT]

6. "fraud and sexual abuse of a minor." ... THE SAME CRIMES TRUMP HAS COMMITTED....

...his entire life, along with a good number of the rest of that crime syndicate of his.

Got it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Elon Musk worked in US illegally in 1995 after quitting school - report

Elon Musk briefly worked illegally in the US after abandoning a graduate studies program in California, according to a Washington Post report that contrasted the episode with the South African multibillionaire’s anti-immigration views.

The boss of Tesla and SpaceX, who has in recent weeks supported Donald Trump’s campaign for a second presidency while promoting the Republican White House nominee’s opposition to “open borders” on his X social media site, has previously maintained that his transition from student to entrepreneur was a “legal grey area”.

But the Washington Post reported Saturday that the world’s wealthiest individual was almost certainly working in the US without correct authorization for a period in 1995 after he dropped out of Stanford University to work on his debut company, Zip2, which sold for about $300m four years later.

Legal experts said foreign students cannot drop out of school to build a company even if they are not getting paid. The Post also noted that – prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks agains the US in 2001 – regulation for student visas was more lax.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/26/elon-musk-illegal-immigration

But he's white. And South African. And racist. And rich. So Trump loves him.

[MichMan]

9. Wonder why the administration didn't deport him in 1995?

[moreland01]

10. Yes! Let's deport the pro-Nazi magats!

[reACTIONary]

11. Here are the detailed allegations....

.... against the 17 individuals.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-moves-strip-us-citizenship-17-naturalized-sex-offenders-fraudsters-drug

If these allegations are true, denaturalization is not unprecedented or unwarranted.

As the spouse of a naturalized citizen, I take this issue very seriously, but I don't think this action is a threat to those who have legitimately gained citizenship.