DOJ Files 40 Denaturalization Cases, Largest Push in Modern History

The Justice Department filed denaturalization petitions against 40 naturalized citizens between August 21 and October 2, seeking to strip their citizenship over alleged crimes. Attorney General Todd Blanche called it the largest denaturalization effort in modern history. The cases involve offenses ranging from espionage and money laundering to sexual crimes against minors. Under federal law, citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained through concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation.

What crimes triggered the denaturalization cases

The 40 individuals face accusations including espionage, money laundering, child sexual abuse, visa fraud, tax evasion, and voluntary manslaughter. Two defendants from China are accused of espionage. One, former U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to more than 16 years in prison earlier this year. Another, Ping Li, was sentenced to four years in November 2024 for conspiring to act as an agent of the Chinese government. More than half of the cases involve immigration or identity fraud.

Where the defendants came from

Nine of the 40 individuals are from Mexico, four from Pakistan, and two from China. The remaining cases involve people from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, India, Iran, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Peru, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. One defendant’s country of origin is unknown.

How denaturalization law works

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized citizen’s citizenship may be revoked if the naturalization was illegally obtained or procured through concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation. The Justice Department must prove these violations in federal court. Filing denaturalization petitions does not mean the 40 people have already lost citizenship. The denaturalization requests were submitted in multiple federal courts, and judges must rule on each case.

Trump administration’s escalating effort

In 2025, the first year of Trump’s second presidency, the Justice Department filed a memo instructing its civil division to ramp up denaturalization efforts and adopt more categories of individuals qualifying for denaturalization. The New York Times reported in April that the Justice Department had identified at least 384 foreign-born U.S. citizens whose naturalization it wanted to revoke. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the department intends to continue pursuing what he called its largest denaturalization effort in history.

Final Thoughts

The 40 denaturalization cases represent a significant expansion of federal efforts to revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans. The cases must still be decided by federal courts, and the outcomes will shape how broadly denaturalization law is applied going forward.

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