The United States Department of Justice has filed 40 new cases seeking to strip naturalised Americans of their citizenship over alleged crimes they have committed.
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they → file → crimes
In a statement on Monday, federal prosecutors said they were targeting individuals accused of “serious offenses”, including money laundering, child sexual abuse, visa fraud and tax evasion.
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they → say → laundering
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Trump → look → citizenship
Trump strip Musk, Mamdani and others of their US citizenship?
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Trump → strip → citizenship
The statement touted the 40 cases as the largest volume of denaturalisation petitions submitted in such a short period under President Donald Trump.
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statement → tout → Trump
The petitions were filed from late August through early October.
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petitions → file → October
“Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche.
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Blanche → mark → history
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people.”
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Department → continue → people
The 40 citizens targeted in Monday’s announcement include people from a range of countries, including Mexico, Pakistan, China and Sierra Leone.
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citizens → target → Mexico
They are accused of concealing criminal acts and other facts about themselves as they sought to obtain citizenship.
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they → accuse → citizenship
Their criminal convictions largely came after they took their oaths of citizenship.
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they → come → citizenship
Two people on the list are also accused of engaging in espionage on behalf of China.
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people → accuse → China
Committing these crimes before they became citizens, the Department of Justice alleges, meant these individuals lacked “good moral character” and should have been denied citizenship.
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individuals → commit → citizenship
Expanded use of denaturalisation law
The laws to denaturalise US citizens have been used for decades, but historically, they have been reserved for serious crimes.
After World War II, for instance, the US government moved to denaturalise dozens of citizens accused of concealing involvement in the Holocaust or engaging in war crimes.
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government → expand → crimes
Notable cases include that of Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian-born anarchist and women’s rights activist who was jailed in 1917 for her antiwar activities, before being denaturalised and deported to the Soviet Union.
But the practice has become much less frequent since the end of the Cold War.
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practice → include → War
Top officials in the Trump administration, however, have sought to expand denaturalisation as part of a push to conduct the largest deportation operation in US history.
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officials → seek → history
Under US law, prosecutors can ask courts to strip citizenship from those born outside the country if they wilfully concealed a “material fact” during their citizenship application that would have otherwise disqualified them.
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that → ask → them
But Trump’s efforts to widen denaturalisation proceedings have received pushback from human rights groups, which argue they could leave people stateless.
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they → widen → people
Critics have also warned that Trump has sought to leverage denaturalisation against specific groups he perceives to be political rivals or enemies.
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he → warn → groups
Last year, for instance, the Trump administration indicated it would seek to denaturalise large numbers of Somali Americans after allegations emerged in Minnesota of daycare fraud involving the Somali diaspora.
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allegations → indicate → diaspora
“Send them back from where they came, Somalia, perhaps the worst, and most corrupt, country on earth,” Trump wrote at the time.
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Trump → send → time
Members of Trump’s Republican Party, notably Representative Andy Ogles, have also floated the possibility of yanking citizenship from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda.
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who → float → Uganda
Trump himself has falsely suggested Mamdani may be in the country illegally.
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Mamdani → suggest → country
At one point, Trump even floated the idea of withdrawing citizenship from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close ally and adviser to his second administration, after the two men had a falling-out in 2025.
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men → float → 2025
Trump has also pushed to do away with birthright citizenship, which is granted to virtually all children born in the US.
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which → push → US
The few exceptions include the babies of diplomats and foreign military forces.
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exceptions → include → diplomats
Birthright citizenship is protected under the US Constitution and cannot be taken away the way naturalised citizenship can.
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citizenship → protect → Constitution
In June, the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s efforts to dismantle birthright citizenship, but legal battles continue after the president issued a second executive order also seeking to restrict how birthright citizenship is applied.
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citizenship → strike → order
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