U.S. Naturalised Citizens Under Threat as Justice Department Targets Revocations
By Andre Momo – BaretaNews
In a move likely to stoke fear and controversy, the United States Department of Justice has issued a fresh directive prioritising the revocation of citizenship for naturalised Americans who are found to have committed certain crimes or misled authorities during their naturalisation process.
The memo, made public this week, signals an aggressive shift in federal policy, zeroing in on an estimated 25 million U.S. citizens who obtained their status through naturalisation. Authorities will now actively investigate and prosecute cases where individuals are believed to have gained citizenship “illegally”—particularly those who concealed involvement in serious crimes.
According to the memo, priority targets include individuals linked to terrorism, war crimes, gang violence, immigration fraud, or human trafficking. The Justice Department insists that these actions are intended to uphold the integrity of U.S. citizenship. However, critics argue this could pave the way for discriminatory and selective enforcement, particularly affecting immigrants from conflict-torn or politically unstable regions.
A Chilling Reminder
This development is a chilling reminder that naturalised citizenship in the U.S. is not as secure as many believed. The legal framework for denaturalisation has existed for decades, but its enforcement was historically rare and reserved for extreme cases. With this new directive, denaturalisation could become a tool of routine enforcement, raising serious human rights and due process concerns.
Advocacy groups have already sounded the alarm. “This policy risks weaponising citizenship status and perpetuating fear in immigrant communities,” said one immigration lawyer, warning of the psychological and social impact on millions who thought they were safely integrated into American life.
Political Undertones?
Observers say the memo may reflect broader political motivations amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of the U.S. political spectrum. It also coincides with ongoing debates over border security, asylum rights, and national identity ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections.
For many, this policy is seen not just as an administrative update, but as an ideological statement about who truly belongs in America.
As the policy rolls out, BaretaNews will continue monitoring how it affects individuals—especially those from Black, African, and other marginalised immigrant communities whose paths to citizenship were already fraught with systemic challenges.
