Trump officials pursue record number of cases to strip US citizenship

What the report says

The US Justice Department has filed 40 new denaturalisation cases aimed at revoking the citizenship of naturalised Americans accused of crimes including money laundering, child sexual abuse, visa fraud and tax evasion, Al Jazeera reported. The cases were announced on Monday and, according to federal prosecutors, were filed between late August and early October. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the effort as the largest modern denaturalisation push under President Donald Trump.

According to the report, the people named in the cases include individuals linked to Mexico, Pakistan, China and Sierra Leone. Prosecutors allege some concealed criminal conduct or other material facts during the citizenship process. In two cases, the department says the defendants were involved in espionage for China, and that these actions meant they should not have qualified for citizenship.

Al Jazeera noted that denaturalisation has existed for decades but has usually been used in limited circumstances, including against some former Nazis after World War II. The Trump administration has tried to broaden the practice as part of a wider immigration crackdown. Civil rights and human rights groups have raised concerns that expanded use could leave people stateless or be used against political targets.

The article also placed the move in the context of Trump’s broader immigration agenda, including efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and previous suggestions that certain groups, such as Somali Americans, could face scrutiny.