Trump Administration Steps Up Efforts to Strip US Citizenship from Foreign-Born Naturalized Citizens Accused of Fraud

The Donald Trump administration is ramping up its immigration crackdown by targeting foreign-born naturalised citizens accused of fraudulently acquiring their US citizenship. As part of these ongoing efforts, a senior Department of Justice official told CNN and CBS News that authorities plan to file more than 250 denaturalisation cases in federal courts across the US by the end of the fiscal year in October. In the past few weeks, the official DOJ website has published multiple press releases highlighting the aggressive campaign under President Donald Trump’s leadership. Last month, the Justice Department announced it was stripping 12 foreign-born immigrants’ US citizenship by filing denaturalisation actions over accusations of serious offences, including committing war crimes, sexually abusing a minor, and providing material support to a terrorist group. Highlighting that a naturalised US citizen’s citizenship may be revoked under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) if the naturalisation was illegally procured or attained by concealing a material fact or wilful misrepresentation, the DOJ also targeted a 62-year-old native of India . CNN reported that the Trump government has filed 29 denaturalisation cases to strip foreign-born Americans’ citizenship in less than two months this year. When viewed in isolation, the numbers may not seem shocking given the Trump administration’s handling of immigration policies and repeated overhauls this past year. However, one can’t help but be astounded by the development when looking back at old figures. The US government filed an average of just 11 denaturalisation cases per year between 1990 and 2017, CBS News reported. According to a new report published on June 17 by the immigration-related data tracker Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), the Trump administration drastically increased the number of denaturalisation complaints it filed in May and June, seeking to revoke the US citizenship of certain foreign-born individuals. Comparing recent figures and the frequency of old cases, the report indicated that while historically the federal government raised an average of less than one denaturalisation civil lawsuit per month (0.6), at least 15 denaturalisation complaints were filed in May 2026. Thereafter, 18 were filed in the first part of June 2026. Upon tracing the details of the individual denaturalisation cases filed recently, one finds through the DOJ’s press releases and online searches that the underlying basis of the complaints was a diverse array of criminal convictions. According to TRAC, immigration fraud, especially false identity, emerged as the largest single underlying basis for such complaints historically, just as it did for May and June 2026. “Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized as United States citizens,” stated Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a May DOJ press release announcing similar denaturalisation complaints. “The Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system. Those who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalization process will face the fullest extent of the law.” TRAC’s analysis revealed that 28 civil denaturalisation complaints were filed in federal district courts seeking to revoke the US citizenship of foreign-born individuals from May 1, 2026, to June 12, 2026. During this period, the largest number of cases (6) were linked to accusations of false identity or immigration fraud. At No.2, child molestation emerged as the next-most cited basis of suit in four cases. This was followed by sexual abuse of a minor (2), narcotics distribution (2), terrorism (2), wire fraud/securities fraud (1), money laundering (1), statutory rape of a minor (1), wire fraud/money laundering (1), healthcare fraud (1), immigration fraud (1), persecution of others/extrajudicial killings (1), indecent conduct (1), marriage fraud (1), wire fraud (1), communism/spying (1) and gun trafficking (1). As denaturalisation actions become increasingly common under the Trump administration, the DOJ’s press release last month flagged a 62-year-old native of India, Debashis Ghosh . The elderly man is now being targeted for conspiring to defraud investors of $2.5 million intended for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility. He is believed to have continued the fraudulent scheme even after acquiring US citizenship. US authorities maintain that Ghosh chose to lie about his innocence during his 2012 naturalisation application and interview, telling officers that he never committed a crime that required an arrest. Ghosh was also found guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud from November 2010 until August 2014 in October 2017. The conviction came decades after Ghosh began his numerous visits to the US as early as 1991. Although he initially used various non-immigrant visas for these trips, his employer eventually filed a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, on the defendant’s behalf, which the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) approved in 2001. Akin to Ghosh’s case, a denaturalisation action was also filed against Gurmeet Singh, yet another native of India, in February 2026. According to the DOJ’s complaint, he concealed and misrepresented in his naturalisation application that he had previously kidnapped and sexually assaulted a female passenger of his taxicab. He was even convicted of Rape in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison after naturalising as a US citizen in 2011. The process of stripping someone’s citizenship is lengthy and arduous. Those named in such actions can challenge the allegations against them. However, if they’re proven wrong, they will ultimately lose all immigration benefits, including their American citizenship, and face deportation to their countries of origin. Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration laws and government policies are subject to frequent change without notice. While we strive to provide accurate updates, readers are strongly advised to verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or government portal of the respective country. Financial Express is not responsible for any decisions made based on this information. For personalised guidance, please consult a qualified immigration attorney or a certified professional advisor.