Trump: “Over 25m Naturalised Americans May Be Affected” as US Begins Denaturalisation Process

• The Donald Trump administration has intensified efforts to revoke US citizenship for naturalised individuals
• The US Department of Justice (DOJ)'s latest memo directed attorneys to prioritise civil proceedings against those who obtained citizenship illegally or pose a threat to the country
• The directive targeted individuals involved in war crimes, human rights abuses, or criminal activities as part of Trump's move to crack down on illegal migration

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

In line with the focus of the Trump-led administration, a memo from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed attorneys in the civil division to prioritise denaturalisation proceedings against naturalised citizens who committed certain offences.

US to strip citizenship for criminal offenses, others

As reported by The Guardian, denaturalisation is the process by which a person is stripped of their citizenship, especially if it was acquired through naturalisation rather than by birth.

The memo, published on June 11, instructs government attorneys to prioritise civil denaturalisation cases, and grants them the authority to initiate proceedings in cases involving immigration fraud, financial crimes, or referrals linked to pending criminal cases.

Over 25 million American citizens at risk

Notably, it is estimated that 25 million naturalised citizens, individuals who were born abroad but became U.S. citizens through the naturalisation process, are currently living in the United States.

However, the US DOJ, through the memo, instructed attorneys to take legal action against any naturalised citizen found to have “illegally procured” their citizenship or obtained it through “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

“The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport,” the memo reads in partp

The memo reflects President Donald Trump’s continued clampdown on legal and illegal migration into the country.

Nigerians at risk of deportation

Legit.ng reported that Nigeria ranks third among African nations with the highest number of citizens scheduled for deportation, following closely behind Somalia, Ghana, and Senegal.

Over the past months, a large-scale crackdown by ICE officials has led to the arrest of thousands of undocumented immigrants across major US cities.

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• Mass deportation: US cancels all visas of an entire African country, announces reason behind it

Trump bans 12 countries from coming to the US

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Donald Trump signed a proclamation enforcing a sweeping travel ban on multiple nations, citing security risks.

The ban, set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on 9 June, will fully restrict nationals from 12 countries and impose partial restrictions on seven others, CNN confirmed.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng