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Citizenship Under Threat: Trump’s DOJ crackdown puts naturalised Americans on edge — Who’s Safe, Who’s at Risk?
Babushahi Bureau
Washington D.C (US), July 1, 2025 – In a sweeping shift with long-term consequences for immigrants and naturalized Americans, the Trump administration has issued a new Department of Justice (DOJ) memo, dated June 11, that sets clearer and tougher parameters on who qualifies for naturalisation—and who may face denaturalisation.
The memo, first reported by The Guardian, outlines a renewed federal focus on post-naturalisation scrutiny, suggesting that U.S. citizenship may not be as permanent as many once believed.
While the core eligibility criteria for naturalisation—lawful permanent residency, continuous residence, good moral character, and civic knowledge—remain legally unchanged, the memo emphasizes aggressive review and enforcement even after citizenship is granted.
Who May Be Affected?
The DOJ now instructs prosecutors to prioritize denaturalisation cases involving:
- Fraud or misrepresentation during the naturalisation process,
- Concealment of criminal history or past immigration violations,
- Links to war crimes, terrorism, human trafficking, or sexual exploitation,
- Participation in extrajudicial killings or human rights abuses.
But the broader concern is that this opens the door to retroactive investigations, putting even long-time U.S. citizens under legal threat.
“This is not just about criminals or war criminals,” said an immigration expert.
“This signals a chilling expansion where even minor errors or misunderstandings in old applications could be grounds for revoking citizenship.”
A New Immigration Strategy?
This policy aligns with President Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown, part of a broader strategy to overhaul how the U.S. defines and defends its borders.
The memo reflects a paradigm shift—from simply approving or rejecting applications at the time of naturalisation to reviewing them years later, long after applicants have built lives as American citizens.
Immigration advocates warn that the memo could cause widespread fear among naturalized citizens, especially those from conflict zones who may have had incomplete documentation or language barriers.
What This Means Going Forward
While U.S. citizenship has traditionally been seen as a secure and final status, the DOJ’s updated enforcement guidance suggests that it may now be subject to ongoing review and potential reversal.
In effect, the Trump administration is redrawing the boundaries of citizenship—raising the stakes for naturalised citizens and putting many on notice: your past could come back to haunt your present.
As the DOJ begins implementing this policy, one urgent question lingers:
Who will be impacted next?