The administration of US President Donald Trump has directed American immigration authorities to begin identifying between 100 and 200 potential denaturalisation cases every month, as part of a renewed crackdown on alleged fraud in the citizenship process.
According to a report by NBC News, cited by the Economic Times, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), operating under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has reassigned personnel and deployed specialists to field offices nationwide to re-examine past naturalisation approvals.
The exercise is aimed at providing the Department of Justice with a steady pipeline of cases through its Office of Immigration Litigation.
Confirming the development, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said the agency would only pursue cases where there is clear evidence of fraud or misrepresentation.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalisation process and will pursue denaturalisation proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves,” Tragesser was quoted as saying.
He added that the agency would continue to work closely with federal prosecutors to safeguard the integrity of the immigration system.
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of US citizenship,” he said.
The Justice Department has reportedly instructed its attorneys to prioritise denaturalisation cases, particularly those involving individuals deemed to pose national security risks, those accused of war crimes, as well as persons linked to large-scale Medicaid or Medicare fraud.
In addition, officials noted that a broader provision allows prosecutors to pursue “any other cases … that the division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.”
Citizenship policy has remained a central focus for Trump, who has repeatedly argued for stricter controls on immigration. He is also seeking authority to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to foreign nationals, an issue currently before the Supreme Court.
In a Thanksgiving message last year, Trump vowed to remove anyone he described as not being a “net asset” to the country, adding that he would “denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”
