The U.S. Department of Justice is moving to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans, accusing them of lying or omitting information on their citizenship applications, according to a draft announcement obtained by NBC News. An earlier version of the count had put the number at 39.
The action is part of an expanded Trump administration effort targeting naturalized citizens born outside the United States. Federal prosecutors began a broad review in April, identifying at least 300 people as potential candidates for denaturalization.
The announcement covering the 40 cases is expected as early as Monday. A Justice Department official said the effort marks the largest denaturalization push in recent history, far exceeding the roughly 15 cases a year typically pursued under previous administrations.
Even so, the 40 cases fall well short of the administration’s original 300-person target, and the official said the review of other naturalized citizens’ applications is continuing. NBC News reported that the administration had initially aimed to have its Office of Immigration Litigation review as many as 200 possible fraudulent naturalization cases per month.
Justice Department prosecutors assigned to the denaturalization task force must prove the allegations in federal court before any citizenship can be revoked. If a court strips someone’s citizenship, that person could then face deportation proceedings.
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