The Justice Department is moving to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans, accusing them of lying about or leaving out criminal histories on their citizenship applications, according to a draft announcement obtained by NBC News. NBC reported the story on October 5. Because it relies on a draft, the final announcement may differ.
What the draft announcement says
NBC reported that the department describes the cases as immigration fraud, based on alleged false statements or omissions about criminal history in NaturalizationThe process by which a permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, generally after three or five years of residence, by filing Form N-400.See it in the glossary applications. A filing of this kind asks a federal court to act. It does not itself revoke anyone’s citizenship.
How courts revoke citizenship in denaturalization cases
The Immigration and Nationality Act allows revocation when naturalization was obtained illegally, by hiding important facts or by lying, as the department explains in an August announcement. The government must bring the case in federal court. In June 2025, for example, a federal judge in Louisiana revoked the citizenship of Elliott Duke after the department said he had failed to disclose his crimes during the process. The department filed that complaint in February 2025.
The department’s earlier announcements state that the claims in its complaints are allegations only, with no determination of liability.
The pace of denaturalization filings
The department said in August that it had filed 123 civil denaturalization complaints since January 20, 2025, which it called the most in recorded history. That count included 25 complaints filed since July 20. Earlier batches covered 17 people in June and 10 people in July.
That pace is far above the historical norm. Between 1990 and 2017, the government filed an average of about 11 denaturalization cases a year, according to historical figures cited by CBS News. A Justice Department official told the network in June that the department planned to file at least 250 cases in fiscal year 2026, which ended September 30.
What to watch next
- The department’s final announcement, including whether it names the individuals, the courts and the allegations in each case.
- Court dockets in the districts where the complaints are filed, where each defendant can respond to the government’s claims.
- Rulings on whether judges grant or deny revocation, which happen case by case.
For earlier cases, see our reports on a federal court revoking citizenship over concealed crimes and a Nevada man charged with naturalization fraud. Our naturalization guide explains how the process works for applicants.