Fear Grips Immigrant Communities as US Moves to Strip Citizenship from 25 Million

The United States government is set to launch sweeping civil proceedings that could result in the revocation of citizenship for millions of naturalised Americans, following the emergence of a Justice Department memo prioritising denaturalisation efforts.

According to a Guardian report, the memo dated June 11 directs federal prosecutors to pursue civil denaturalisation against individuals who obtained U.S. citizenship through “illegal procurement” or “willful misrepresentation or concealment of material facts.”

The move could potentially impact the estimated 25 million Americans who immigrated and became naturalised citizens, based on 2023 figures. The memo lists ten priority categories for targeting individuals, with particular focus on those involved in war crimes, human rights abuses, gang activities, or other serious crimes deemed to pose ongoing threats to national security.

Unlike criminal trials, civil denaturalisation cases do not guarantee the right to legal representation, and the government faces a lower burden of proof. Legal experts and immigration advocates have raised concerns that this lowers protections for accused individuals and accelerates the loss of citizenship rights.

Sameera Hafiz, policy director at the Immigration Legal Resource Center, warned that the approach effectively “creates a second class of U.S. citizens,” stripping away constitutional protections from naturalised individuals.

The memo’s release comes as the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division undergoes significant transformation under Trump-era executive priorities, which include ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and transgender health initiatives. Reports indicate the division is in turmoil, with an estimated 70% of its lawyers—about 250 attorneys—having resigned between January and May, according to National Public Radio.

In one recent case, a judge revoked the citizenship of Elliott Duke, a British-born U.S. military veteran, after his conviction for distributing child sexual abuse material. The case highlighted how prior criminal conduct, when not disclosed during the naturalisation process, can lead to denaturalisation.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reported its 13th in-custody death for the fiscal year beginning in October 2024—surpassing the total number of such deaths recorded the previous fiscal year.

The Justice Department has also intensified its crackdown on progressive immigration and race-based programs. It recently filed lawsuits against 15 U.S. district attorneys in Maryland who blocked the immediate deportation of migrants and launched an investigation into the University of Virginia’s DEI policies, prompting the resignation of its president, Jim Ryan.

Critics argue the policy shifts are reshaping the department’s civil rights mission away from racial equality and toward enforcement-heavy immigration policies.