DOJ Moves to Revoke Citizenship of 40 Naturalized Americans in Major Denaturalization Push

WASHINGTON — October 5, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that it has filed civil actions seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans, describing the filings as the largest single-period denaturalization effort under the current administration.

The cases were filed between August 21 and October 2 in federal courts across the country. According to the Justice Department, the defendants are accused of illegally obtaining citizenship or concealing important information during the naturalization process.

The allegations involve a wide range of conduct, including espionage, immigration fraud, money laundering, sexual offenses, healthcare fraud and other serious crimes.

Citizenship Has Not Yet Been Revoked

The Justice Department’s announcement does not mean all 40 people have already lost their citizenship.

These are civil denaturalization cases that must proceed through federal court.

Under federal immigration law, naturalized citizenship can be revoked if a court determines that it was illegally obtained or was secured through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.

The Justice Department emphasized that the claims contained in the complaints are allegations and that there has not yet been a determination of liability.

Cases Filed Across 19 Federal Districts

The complaints were filed in 19 federal judicial districts, including courts in California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut and the District of Columbia.

The cases are separate actions rather than one coordinated criminal conspiracy.

Among the defendants described by the Justice Department are people originally from countries including Afghanistan, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana and the Philippines.

Espionage and National-Security Allegations

Some of the highest-profile cases involve allegations connected to national security.

The Justice Department says one of the individuals targeted in the denaturalization effort was previously convicted of espionage-related