DOJ Targets Naturalized Criminals and Terror Threats in Major Citizenship Crackdown

The Justice Department has ordered federal prosecutors to go after naturalized citizens who lied during the citizenship process or later committed serious crimes, signaling a renewed focus on national security and immigration integrity.

Key Facts:

The memo was issued June 11 by Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
It directs U.S. attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings.”
Focus areas include terrorism, espionage, gang activity, and fraud against the U.S. government.
The DOJ secured the denaturalization of a convicted child sexual abuse material distributor two days later.
Ten categories of criminal behavior were listed as priorities for citizenship revocation.

The Rest of The Story:

The Department of Justice is stepping up its efforts to revoke U.S. citizenship from individuals who obtained it fraudulently or committed serious crimes after naturalization.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate laid out the new directive in a memo dated June 11, calling for aggressive civil denaturalization cases.

“The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses,” Shumate wrote.

He emphasized targeting threats to national security and criminals who have abused U.S. laws and trust.

The memo prioritizes cases involving terrorism links, human trafficking, sex crimes, violent offenses, and financial fraud, including COVID-era PPP loan scams.

Shumate added that denaturalization is warranted when citizenship was obtained through “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

🚨 BREAKING: The Trump DOJ has begun to prioritizing STRIPPING naturalized citizens of their U.S. citizenship when they’re charged with crimes, per a recent memo

YES! Democrats have handed out citizenship to WAY too many people hate our country.

STRIP CITIZENSHIP AND DEPORT! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VJMhhBTGD0

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 30, 2025

Commentary:

This move is long overdue.

Citizenship is not just a piece of paper—it’s a privilege granted to those who respect the law and contribute positively to the nation.

When individuals lie to obtain that privilege or later abuse it by engaging in terrorism, trafficking, or massive fraud, they’ve broken the compact with the country that welcomed them.

Too often, enforcement of denaturalization has been weak or inconsistent.

For years, even those tied to terror networks or criminal syndicates have continued to benefit from U.S. citizenship, living freely, sometimes even traveling under a U.S. passport.

That undermines both security and public trust.

The Trump administration is right to prioritize this tool.

Revoking citizenship from criminals not only helps keep Americans safer, but it sends a clear message: the United States will not tolerate deception or betrayal from those it generously embraces.

Those who knowingly commit PPP or Medicaid fraud, join drug cartels, or aid enemy states should not enjoy the same rights and protections as law-abiding citizens.

Denaturalization provides a legal path to correct those wrongs and remove dangerous individuals.

Critics may argue this is harsh or politically motivated, but the memo is based on existing laws and evidence-backed cases.

It’s not about race, religion, or origin—it’s about character and conduct.

Under strong leadership, policies like this restore faith in law enforcement and show that justice will be served—no matter who you are or where you came from.

If you violate the rules, there are consequences.