The Justice Department filed to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized Americans on June 8, 2026. The DOJ described them as “sex offenders, fraudsters, drug dealers, and more.” The cases allege these individuals concealed criminal convictions or committed fraud during the naturalization process.
Among them: a Cuban national convicted in a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme, a Jamaican national convicted in a stock manipulation operation causing tens of millions in investor losses, and a Mexican national who misrepresented her husband’s identity to secure permanent residence.
The legal basis is straightforward. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation. Every case goes before a federal judge. The citizen has the right to counsel, a hearing, and an appeal.
What makes this unusual is the scale. Between 1990 and 2017, an average of 11 denaturalization cases were filed per year. During Trump’s first term, 25 per year. In the 16 months since January 2025, the DOJ has filed 64 cases — more than all four years of the Biden administration combined.
Internal USCIS guidance sets a quota of 100 to 200 denaturalization cases per month for FY2026. Former DHS official Morgan Bailey called those targets “virtually impossible” to achieve, noting the legal standard has not changed.
The 17 cases filed today involve serious criminal convictions. The question is what comes next. The quota system targets 1,200 to 2,400 cases per year from a system that historically produced 11. Former officials and immigration advocates warn the quota will pressure field offices to pursue weaker cases — minor errors, technicalities, or people who pose no public safety risk — to meet numerical targets.
If citizenship is revoked, the person becomes a noncitizen subject to deportation. They lose voting rights, passport eligibility, and the legal protections that distinguish citizens from visa holders. The Supreme Court has held that citizenship is “too precious and fundamental to our democracy” to be revoked arbitrarily.
What you can do now
- If you are a naturalized citizen, know your rights. Denaturalization requires a federal court proceeding. You have the right to a lawyer and a hearing. National Immigration Law Center has resources.
- Contact your representatives about oversight of the denaturalization quota. Ask whether Congress authorized USCIS to set monthly targets for revoking citizenship.
- Follow the cases. Each of the 17 will be heard by a federal judge. The outcomes will establish whether the government can sustain this pace.