Published on 4/25/2026
NBC News revealed that the United States Department of Justice is seeking to revoke American citizenship from hundreds of foreign-born citizens.
The network quoted an official in the Ministry of Justice as saying that federal prosecutors in field offices – all over the country – are currently working to implement this effort.
It indicated that a source familiar with these investigations reported that the ministry is targeting at least 300 Americans of foreign origin for the possibility of revoking their citizenship, as part of the efforts of the administration of President Donald Trump to intensify naturalization cancellation operations, while a ministry official said that the number is estimated at hundreds.
According to the network, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services – which is part of the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for legal immigration – has sent experts to its offices across the country, or reassigned employees to search for possible cases in which citizenship could be withdrawn.
She indicated that the goal was to provide the Ministry of Justice – which is responsible for prosecuting these cases – with between 100 and 200 potential cases per month.
Unclear reasons
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said that the ministry is focusing intensely on detecting “criminal foreigners who defraud the naturalization procedures,” according to what was reported by the American network.
The spokesman explained that – under the leadership of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche – the department is seeking the largest number of citizenship withdrawal cases in history, stressing that movement is being done very quickly to ensure that fraudsters are held accountable and prosecuted.
Citizenship is usually withdrawn in rare cases limited to people who concealed criminal records or previous human rights violations during the procedures for applying for citizenship.
During the four years of Trump’s first term, the administration filed 102 such cases, according to the Department of Justice, which says about 800,000 people obtain American citizenship annually.
These efforts come at a time when the Trump administration is implementing policies to significantly reduce immigration, which included sending the Department of Homeland Security dozens of immigration enforcement officers to American cities on deportation missions, and purchasing huge warehouses to hold detainees.
The motives behind the possible revocation of citizenship for 300 citizens remain unclear, but the Justice Department has already directed lawyers to focus on citizenship revocation cases, and has provided possible examples, ranging from “individuals who pose a threat to national security,” or who have committed war crimes or torture, to people who have committed Medicaid fraud or defrauded the government in other ways.
