Original Date Announced

The New York Times reports that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it wants to revoke. It is unclear why the identified individuals were targeted. Senior DOJ officials said civil litigators in 39 regional offices will soon be assigned to file denaturalization cases, which have traditionally been handled by DOJ's Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL).

This entry tracks denaturalization cases pursuant to DOJ's Civil Division Enforcement Priorities memorandum. For more information on general policy changes resulting from that memo, see entry 1820.

Trump 2.0 [ID #2261]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.06.13 Denaturalization Order - United States v. Duke

U.S. 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 DOJ press release, the denaturalization order is pursuant to a complaint filed in February 2025. Duke was convicted of receipt and possession of child pornography in 2013, then failed to disclose during the naturalization process.

**Link to case here. Our litigation entries generally report only the initial complaint and any major substantive filings or decisions. For additional information, CourtListener provides access to PACER and all available pleadings. Other sites that track litigation in more detail or organize cases by topic include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Just Security**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

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 pled guilty to nonviolent offenses that occurred prior to their naturalization, including tax fraud, even when those individuals pled guilty after naturalization. One such individual is Vanessa Ben, naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018. The government is pursuing her denaturalization on criminal charges of naturalization fraud due to her alleged failure to report during the naturalization process that she committed the offense of under-reporting income in her 2016 tax filings.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.05.08 DOJ - Justice Department Moves to Denaturalize 12 Individuals

DOJ filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 12 individuals alleged to have obtained their status through fraud or because they demonstrated allegiance to terror groups after becoming citizens. In a public statement, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said that DOJ "continues to file denaturalization actions at record speeds to restore integrity in our naturalization process."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.05.08 DOJ - Justice Department Sues to Revoke Citizenship of Victor Manuel Rocha

DOJ filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Victor Manuel Rocha "based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978." Rocha previously pled guilty to "Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government and to Defraud the United States and Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.06.08 DOJ - Justice Department moves to strip U.S. citizenship from 17 individuals

DOJ filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 17 individuals accused of "serious offenses." The cases are being prosecuted by OIL, with assistance from USCIS, ICE, and various U.S. Attorney's Offices.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.06.26 Complaint - Democracy Forward v. USCIS

Democracy Forward Foundation sued USCIS, DHS, and DOJ under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), alleging that the agencies failed to timely respond to multiple requests seeking records related to the administration's denaturalization efforts. The requests seek records on denaturalization initiatives, referrals, litigation, agency coordination, communications among senior officials, and related policy discussions. The complaint asks the court to order the agencies to search for and produce responsive records and to enjoin the continued withholding of non-exempt records. Democracy Forward v. USCIS, No. 1:26-cv-02263 (D.D.C.).

**Link to case here. See litigation notes above**