February 13, 2026

Trump Administration Targets Hundreds for Citizenship Revocation Monthly

 

The Trump administration has directed U.S. immigration authorities to identify between 100 and 200 potential denaturalisation cases every month, signaling an aggressive crackdown on citizenship fraud and misrepresentation.

According to reports by NBC News and the Economic Times, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has redeployed staff and dispatched experts to field offices nationwide to review past naturalisation approvals. The move is aimed at providing the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation with a steady stream of cases.

USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated that the agency acts only when there is evidence of fraud or misrepresentation in the naturalisation process.

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalisation process and will pursue denaturalisation proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves,” Tragesser said.

He added, “We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship.”

The Justice Department has instructed its attorneys to prioritise denaturalisation, particularly for individuals posing national security risks, committing war crimes, or engaging in Medicaid and Medicare fraud. A broader clause also allows action in “any other cases … that the division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.”

President Trump has repeatedly emphasised citizenship policy, including seeking authority to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to foreign nationals—a matter currently before the Supreme Court. In a Thanksgiving message last year, Trump vowed to remove anyone who was not a “net asset” to the United States and to denaturalise migrants “who undermine domestic tranquility.”