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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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The Trump administration is expanding efforts to strip U.S. citizenship from some naturalized Americans, with Justice Department filings and new data indicating a significant rise in denaturalization cases.
Denaturalization, the legal process through which the federal government revokes citizenship from a naturalized citizen, can occur if authorities prove that citizenship was obtained illegally or through fraud, such as by concealing key facts during the application process.
CNN first reported that the administration is planning to file at least 250 denaturalization cases in the 2026 fiscal year, a level that would represent a marked increase from historical averages.
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Under the Trump administration, the Justice Department has expanded efforts to pursue denaturalization cases, particularly involving people accused of or convicted of serious crimes or alleged to have provided false information during the citizenship process. Critics argue the policy could unfairly strip some naturalized Americans of citizenship as part of broader deportation efforts, while administration officials say the government was enforcing existing laws more aggressively than in previous years.
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Newsweek reviewed at least eight federal denaturalization cases filed in 2026, according to court records. The cases, filed under federal statutes governing revocation of naturalization, involve individuals such as Rodriguez Perez in Florida and Olufunke Oludele in Wisconsin, as well as defendants in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, reflecting the nationwide scope of the Justice Department’s recent enforcement activity.
Two Justice Department press releases issued in May and June outlined separate waves of enforcement, including one announcement covering 12 denaturalization cases and another detailing 17 additional cases.
In a separate announcement Friday, the Justice Department also moved to strip citizenship from Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. diplomat who admitted in court to secretly working on behalf of Cuba.
Rise in Denaturalization
New case data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) shows the scale of the recent increase. At least 15 denaturalization lawsuits were filed in May 2026 and 18 more in the first half of June, according to a TRAC report released June 17.
By comparison, the federal government historically averaged fewer than one such case per month, or roughly 11 per year between 1990 and 2017, per TRAC data.
TRAC’s database identified 166 denaturalization cases filed between 2008 and mid-June 2026, with filings remaining relatively low for years before rising again after a 2025 Justice Department policy shift expanding enforcement priorities.
Nearly 8 million people became naturalized U.S. citizens over the last deade, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service data. The agency said it welcomed 818,500 new citizens in fiscal year 2024 during naturalization ceremonies.
Denaturalization has historically been used sparingly in the United States, often in cases involving serious human rights abuses or identity fraud.
Expansion of enforcement
DOJ officials have framed the effort as part of a push to enforce immigration laws and ensure that citizenship is granted lawfully. Federal law allows denaturalization proceedings when prosecutors can show a person obtained citizenship through misrepresentation, concealment of material facts, or other unlawful means.
The Justice Department said June 8 it was seeking to strip U.S. citizenship from 17 individuals accused of serious offenses, including fraud and sexual abuse.
In a statement, the department said several of the cases involve individuals previously convicted of major crimes, including Leidys Delmas Garcia, a Cuban national convicted in a health care fraud scheme, and Talman Harris fromJamaica, who was convicted in a stock manipulation and wire fraud operation that caused significant investor losses. Neeraj Sharma from India and Federico Michel Fermin from the Dominican Republic were also named, with prosecutors alleging they concealed criminal conduct during their naturalization proceedings.
The department said multiple cases involve sexual offenses against minors that were not disclosed in citizenship applications. Those named include Jean Claude Alfred, Tahir Lekaj, Armando Mendoza, Fernando Cristancho, Ronnie Price and Jheromell Obejera Arcilla, all of whom were convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of children. Prosecutors allege each failed to disclose that conduct in sworn immigration filings.
Other cases cited by the department involve alleged fraud or misrepresentation linked to either criminal conduct or the immigration process. Andrea Marroquin from Colombia is accused of fraud and money laundering tied to drug proceeds, while Maria Lourdes Montoya from Mexico allegedly obtained legal status through a sham marriage, according to the department.
Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, a Cuban national, is accused of participating in a scheme involving stolen casino funds and laundering the proceeds, which prosecutors say she failed to disclose.
The department also said several cases focus primarily on immigration fraud. Abdikadir Ali Kadiye from Somalia is accused of using multiple identities to gain admission to the United States, while Victor San Shing Kwok from China allegedly concealed a prior removal order and other immigration violations. Louise Hunkporti from Congo is accused of using a false identity to obtain immigration benefits.
Earlier in May, prosecutors filed similar cases against 12 individuals accused of offenses including providing material support to terrorist organizations and committing war crimes.
Those cases include Ali Yousif Ahmed Al‑Nouri, an Iraqi national accused of lying during the naturalization process after Iraq sought his extradition over the alleged 2006 killing of two police officers; and Oscar Alberto Pelaez, a Colombian priest convicted of sexually assaulting a minor who prosecutors say concealed those crimes in his application.
Authorities also named Khalid Ouazzani, a Moroccan national who pleaded guilty to providing financial support to al-Qaeda, and Salah Osman Ahmed, a Somali national convicted of providing material support to the militant group al-Shabaab after his naturalization.
Other defendants include Baboucarr Mboob, a former Gambian military officer accused of participating in extrajudicial executions; Kevin Robin Suarez, a Bolivian national convicted in a firearms trafficking conspiracy; and Abduvosit Razikov, an Uzbek national accused of securing immigration benefits through sham marriages.
Those targeted can contest the allegations in court. If the government prevails, individuals lose their citizenship and revert to their prior immigration status, which may make them eligible for deportation.
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