The Trump administration has directed United States immigration authorities to identify between 100 and 200 potential denaturalisation cases every month as part of efforts to revoke citizenship obtained through fraud or misrepresentation.
According to NBC News, as reported by the Economic Times on Friday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under the Department of Homeland Security, has redeployed staff and sent specialists to field offices nationwide to review previously approved naturalisation applications.
The move is aimed at generating a steady number of cases for the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation.
A USCIS spokesperson, Matthew Tragesser, said the agency would act whenever there is evidence that citizenship was acquired through false claims.
“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,” NBC quoted him as saying.
He added that the agency would continue working with the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of the immigration system.
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of US citizenship,” he said.
The Justice Department has also instructed its attorneys to prioritise denaturalisation cases, citing individuals linked to national security threats, war crimes, and fraud involving Medicaid or Medicare.
It further noted that the directive also covers “any other cases” deemed important enough for prosecution by the division.
Trump has consistently placed emphasis on citizenship and immigration policy. He is currently seeking authority to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to foreign nationals, an issue now before the Supreme Court.
In a Thanksgiving message last year, Trump said he would remove anyone who was not a “net asset” to the country and vowed to denaturalise migrants who, according to him, undermine domestic stability.
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