Justice Department Seeks To Revoke Citizenship For 40 Naturalized Americans In Expanding Federal Sweep

The United States Department of Justice has asked federal courts across the country to revoke the citizenship of 40 naturalized citizens, according to reporting by AllHipHop based on an official federal announcement made on Monday, October 5, 2026. The department characterized the filing as the largest single collection of denaturalization complaints submitted during one period under the Trump administration. The sweep targets individuals who were previously convicted of severe crimes, including espionage, voluntary manslaughter, and sexual offenses, alongside individuals accused of carrying out immigration fraud to obtain their status.

As reported by AllHipHop, the Justice Department clarified that a government accusation alone does not strip a person of American citizenship. The legal standard for denaturalization requires formal court proceedings, ensuring that federal prosecutors cannot cancel status through administrative mandate. Federal law permits prosecutors to seek revocation when citizenship was obtained illegally, or when an applicant willfully concealed material facts or made fraudulent statements during their naturalization proceedings. These statutory requirements mandate that claims must be presented directly to a U.S. district court judge for evaluation.

The October filing follows a similar action disclosed by the Justice Department on June 8, when prosecutors moved against 17 individuals in denaturalization proceedings, according to AllHipHop. Those earlier cases involved charges such as the sexual abuse of minors, financial fraud schemes, and the unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription pharmaceuticals. Among those named in June was Leidys Delmas Garcia, whom prosecutors identified as having been convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud involving roughly $36.7 million in fraudulent billing schemes.

The government claimed Garcia made misrepresentations in her naturalization interview, while explicitly acknowledging that liability in civil complaints remains to be established in court. Federal law outlines specific procedural protections for individuals facing civil citizenship revocation claims. Defendants are generally entitled to 60 days of personal notice to answer the government's formal petition, unless that notice period is waived. Separately, a court must order naturalization revoked following a criminal conviction for knowingly obtaining citizenship unlawfully.

For individuals subject to civil complaints, federal prosecutors are asking judges to undo previously granted citizenship, making district court proceedings the definitive battleground for determining whether status will be stripped.