Trump Threats to Take Away Naturalized Citizens If They “Deserve” It
Legal experts and immigrant groups are alarmed by the recent denaturalization drive.
After declaring that he would deprive naturalized Americans of their U.S. citizenship if they “deserve” it, Trump has sparked grave concerns. His remarks have caused immigration attorneys and immigrant communities to wonder how permanent citizenship is under his administration.
Trump has stepped up his immigration crackdown and extended it beyond unauthorized immigrants since taking office again. He is now publicly talking about denaturalization, a rare legal procedure that takes away citizenship from foreign-born individuals who later become citizens of the United States. His remarks coincide with ongoing investigations by his administration into fraud cases in Minnesota, where Trump has frequently singled out the Somali population while portraying the problem as a national security danger.
In a recent interview, Trump stated that if someone was dishonest, he would “in a heartbeat” revoke their citizenship. He also indicated that he would do it if they deserved it. He did not specify what constitutes deserving, nor did he make it clear if he was referring to a new interpretation under his administration or to current legal criteria. What worries specialists the most is that lack of clarity.
Immigration lawyers note that denaturalization is only permitted in extremely specific situations under U.S. law. During the naturalization process, the government must demonstrate that someone lied or engaged in fraud, such as concealing a significant crime or providing false information in order to obtain citizenship. It is not intended to be used as a political tool or as a penalty for offenses committed after gaining citizenship.
In spite of this, internal immigration agency guidelines are said to advocate for a sharp rise in denaturalization cases in the upcoming years. Removing someone’s citizenship has been exceedingly uncommon in the past.
