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Original Date Announced
June 11, 2025Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate issued a memorandum to all DOJ Civil Division employees titled, "Civil Division Enforcement Priorities." The memo outlines five priority areas for enforcement, aligning with directives from President Trump and Attorney General Bondi.
First, the Civil Division is directed to bring affirmative litigation against private-sector entities that engage in unlawful discrimination, especially related to DEI mandates. Attorneys are instructed to use the False Claims Act against recipients of federal funds who violate civil rights laws, as part of the new Civil Rights Fraud Initiative.
Second, the memo directs the Division to combat antisemitism, including by investigating entities that allow or promote antisemitic conduct while receiving federal funds.
Third, attorneys are instructed to investigate and pursue enforcement against entities involved in gender transition procedures on minors. This includes actions under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and False Claims Act against healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and online distributors.
Fourth, the Civil Division is directed to challenge state and local sanctuary policies that obstruct federal immigration enforcement, and to pursue litigation where such laws are preempted.
Fifth, the memo directs attorneys to prioritize denaturalization cases involving national security threats, war criminals, gang members, major fraud, and other serious misconduct. The Division retains discretion to pursue any case supported by law and evidence.
Trump 2.0 [ID #1820]
2025.06.11 DOJ - Civil Division Enforcement PrioritiesEffective Date
June 11, 2025Subsequent Trump and Court Action
June 13, 20252025.06.13 Denaturalization Order - United States v. Duke
District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. entered an order revoking the citizenship of Elliott Duke, a U.S. Army veteran originally from the United Kingdom. United States v. Duke, No. 2:25-cv-00201 (W.D. La.).
According to a press release from the DOJ, the denaturalization order is pursuant to a complaint filed in February 2025. Duke was convicted of receipt and possession of child pornography in 2013. The DOJ targeted Duke for denaturalization based on their criminal history and failure to disclose any criminal activity during the naturalization process.
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: Agency DirectiveSubject Matter: Sanctuary Restrictions NaturalizationAgencies Affected: DOJAssociated or Derivative Policies
- February 20, 2017 DHS memo implementing EO 13768 on "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior"
- January 20, 2025 EO 14159 § 17 directs DOJ and DHS to take civil and criminal enforcement actions against “sanctuary jurisdictions”
- January 29, 2025 EO 14188 § 3(e) directs agencies to report on recommendations for higher education institutions to monitor and report noncitizen students and staff for possible removal
- March 6, 2025 State Department launches "Catch and Revoke" initiative to revoke visas of students engaged in "pro-Hamas" activity
- April 28, 2025 EO 14287: "Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens"
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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New Policy
Original Source:
DOJ - Civil Division Enforcement Priorities
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Subsequent Action
Original Source:
2025.06.13 Denaturalization Order - United States v. Duke
- Commentary
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Commentary
2025.07.25 Reported: Falsifying a Tax Return Can Cost Your Citizenship Under Trump - Bloomberg
Bloomberg News reports that DOJ is pursuing denaturalization cases against individuals who have plead guilty to nonviolent offenses that occurred prior to their naturalization, including tax fraud, even when those individuals plead guilty after the conclusion of their naturalization processes.
One such individual is Vanessa Ben, who was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018. The government is pursuing her denaturalization on criminal charges of naturalization fraud as a result of her alleged failure to report during the naturalization process that she had committed the offense of under-reporting her income in her 2016 tax filings.
Go to article2025.08 Immigrant Legal Resource Center - FAQs: How Denaturalization Works
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) released an FAQ on denaturalization in response to the DOJ enforcement priorities memo that is the subject of this policy entry. The FAQ addresses questions about the prevalence and process of denaturalization, the groups of people the DOJ memo targets for potential denaturalization, and resources for naturalized citizens.
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