Trump administration launches largest-ever effort to denaturalize U.S. citizens accused of fraud or other crimes

Updated on: June 8, 2026 / 12:18 PM EDT / CBS News

Trump administration launches largest-ever effort to denaturalize U.S. citizens accused of fraud or other crimes

TL;DR

  • The Trump administration is seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 U.S. citizens in its largest denaturalization campaign to date.
  • These individuals are accused of immigration fraud, concealing criminal activity, or lacking the required "good moral character" for naturalization.
  • The targeted cases include individuals convicted of violent crimes, sex offenses against children, fraud, and money laundering.
  • The administration aims to combat abuse of the naturalization process, emphasizing that citizenship is a privilege that can be forfeited by breaking laws and lying.
  • Denaturalization allows the government to strip citizenship from naturalized individuals, returning them to their prior immigration status and making them subject to deportation.