The United States government has released a new policy that could lead to some immigrants losing their American citizenship, especially those accused of fraud or national security threats. This move follows a memo from the U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump’s administration, which lays out who may face denaturalisation — the legal process of revoking U.S. citizenship.
According to the memo, the government now has broader powers to file lawsuits against naturalised citizens who allegedly obtained citizenship through lies, hidden criminal records, or other forms of fraud. Ten high-priority groups have been identified for possible action.
The list includes people linked to terrorism or spying, those involved in war crimes or human rights abuses, and members of gangs, drug cartels, or other criminal organisations. Others include people who committed fraud during the naturalisation process or failed to disclose serious crimes like human trafficking or financial scams, including those who abused U.S. COVID-19 relief funds like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The policy also covers individuals who gained citizenship through bribery or corruption and even those recommended for investigation by U.S. federal prosecutors.
The Department of Justice said it would “maximally pursue” these cases to protect the integrity of the U.S. naturalisation system. For Nigerian-Americans and other immigrant communities, this development raises concerns, especially for those with past legal issues or errors in their citizenship applications.
Legal experts warn that this aggressive approach could lead to more people being investigated and potentially deported if found guilty of fraud or threats to national security.
Naturalisation is the process by which immigrants become U.S. citizens after meeting certain conditions. While revoking citizenship has always been possible in rare cases, this new directive significantly expands the scope and priority of such actions under the Trump-era policy.