U.S. DOJ Elevates Denaturalization to Top 5 Civil Enforcement Priorities
By Jamaica Live Staff Writer
Published: June 30, 2025
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a sweeping new initiative to prioritize the denaturalization of naturalized American citizens, raising alarm among civil rights advocates and immigrant communities. The policy shift, introduced through a June 11 memo by Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, targets individuals who obtained citizenship through fraudulent means or who have engaged in serious criminal conduct.
According to internal DOJ documents, the department is focusing on cases where naturalized citizens may have lied or omitted key facts during the citizenship process. Offenses being prioritized for civil denaturalization include war crimes, terrorism, gang affiliation, sex crimes, and large-scale fraud—particularly healthcare and immigration fraud.
While the DOJ asserts that the program is aimed at safeguarding national security and upholding the integrity of the naturalization process, the scope of the policy is unprecedented. With more than 25 million naturalized citizens in the United States, critics warn of a dangerous precedent that could create a two-tiered system of citizenship.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), under the new leadership of Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, issued the memorandum on June 11, 2025, outlining five major enforcement priorities for its Civil Division. Alongside aggressive actions against private-sector DEI programs, antisemitism, gender-affirming care, and sanctuary jurisdictions, DOJ has firmly placed denaturalization of U.S. citizens among its top-tier goals.
🥇 The Five Priorities
According to the DOJ memo, the Civil Division will focus on:
- Combating discriminatory DEI policies in federally funded private entities using the False Claims Act
- Ending antisemitism among federal fund recipients.
- Protecting women and children, including restrictions on gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.
- Challenging sanctuary jurisdictions at the state and local level.
- Denaturalizing naturalized citizens who obtained citizenship by fraud, misrepresentation, or later engaged in disqualifying conduct.
🔍 Spotlight on Denaturalization
The fifth priority, denaturalization, instructs DOJ attorneys to “maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence”. This includes individuals who:
- Fraudulently obtained citizenship (e.g., lied or concealed material facts during the process)
- Engaged in serious criminal or national security activities before or shortly after naturalization—such as war crimes, terrorism, gang activity, human trafficking, sex offenses, and fraud.
⚖️ Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings
These proceedings are civil in nature, meaning the DOJ must meet a lower burden of proof than in criminal trials, and defendants are not entitled to government-appointed counsel . Legal authorities are concerned this could lead to inconsistent enforcement and transform citizenship into a dangerous privilege, especially for naturalized citizens.
High-Profile Enforcement Already Underway
The DOJ has already begun acting on the memo. On June 13, the department successfully stripped citizenship from Elliott Duke, a UK-born U.S. Army veteran who was convicted of distributing child sexual abuse material. Duke allegedly concealed this conviction during his naturalization process. The case was handled under “Operation Prison Lookout,” one of several DOJ campaigns aimed at targeting individuals deemed to pose serious threats to public safety.
While most cases target severe offenses, civil rights groups note that the broad language of the policy gives U.S. attorneys wide discretion to bring cases beyond the outlined categories. This has sparked concern that minor infractions or technical errors during naturalization interviews could be used retroactively to justify denaturalization.
📌 Implications for Jamaicans Abroad
- Naturalized U.S. citizens of Jamaican origin or other diasporas may be affected if they misrepresented material facts or engaged in serious crimes before or after naturalization.
- The civil nature of proceedings means cases could advance more quickly and with fewer legal protections than traditional criminal trials.
- Legal challenges are anticipated, arguing that this policy undermines due process and creates a two-tiered system of citizenship.
Civil Denaturalization: A Lower Bar
Unlike criminal prosecutions, civil denaturalization does not require proof beyond a reasonable doubt and does not entitle the accused to legal representation provided by the state. Legal experts say this creates significant due process concerns.
“This policy exposes naturalized citizens to the loss of their most fundamental right without the full protections of the legal system,” said Professor Cassandra Robertson of Case Western Reserve University. “A civil case can result in someone being stripped of their citizenship without the benefit of a public defender and under a much lower standard of proof.”
The policy echoes a Trump-era revival of civil denaturalization initiatives. Under President Donald Trump’s current term, such efforts have gained renewed traction as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
Public Backlash and Legal Concerns
The initiative has sparked debate online and across legal circles. Critics argue that the DOJ is exploiting civil proceedings as a loophole to sidestep constitutional protections.
“There is a reason why the U.S. rarely denaturalizes citizens—it undermines the promise of equal rights for all Americans,” wrote one user on a legal forum. “Targeting naturalized citizens this way creates fear and division.”
Immigration attorneys and human rights advocates are also preparing for legal challenges, warning that the policy could lead to discriminatory enforcement and a chilling effect on immigrant communities.
The Bigger Picture
Denaturalization has existed in U.S. law for decades, particularly to target war criminals and cases of outright fraud. However, the scale and aggressiveness of the current approach mark a significant policy shift. Legal scholars and immigrant-rights groups are closely watching how the courts respond and whether challenges to the civil process will reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
The DOJ has not confirmed how many individuals are currently under review for possible denaturalization, but internal communications suggest the number could grow rapidly as U.S. attorneys begin prioritizing such cases.
By placing denaturalization at the top of its civil enforcement agenda, the DOJ signals a dramatic escalation in its approach to citizenship integrity. With aggressive civil suits likely to follow, the policy may soon land in high-level judicial scrutiny.
For naturalized Americans—especially those in the Caribbean diaspora—this memo isn’t just rhetoric; it’s a new frontier that could redefine citizenship.
Jamaica Live will continue to monitor how these enforcement actions unfold and their implications for international communities.