US DOJ denaturalization of naturalized criminals

In late July 2026 the Justice Department announced a coordinated effort to revoke the citizenship of ten naturalized residents convicted of serious crimes, including child sexual abuse, Medicare fraud, immigration fraud and drug trafficking. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the individuals had obtained citizenship through material misrepresentations, violating the Immigration and Nationality Act.

On July 23 the DOJ filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Colorado challenging the state’s Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow Act (also referred to as the “Asset” Act). The department argues the law, which grants undocumented students in‑state tuition and financial aid, contravenes Title 8 of the U.S. Code and the Supremacy Clause by extending benefits to illegal aliens that are not available to all U.S. citizens. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction and cites a Fifth Circuit decision striking down a similar Texas Dream Act provision as precedent.

The civil denaturalization filings against the ten naturalized citizens continue in federal courts across multiple states, underscoring the administration’s broader enforcement push to tighten naturalization standards while contesting state policies that provide benefits to undocumented migrants.