Trump Administration Launches Record Denaturalization Campaign Against 17 Citizens

The United States Department of Justice launched a large-scale denaturalization campaign on June 8, 2026, filing civil proceedings to revoke the citizenship of 17 naturalized Americans. The administration alleges these individuals obtained their status through immigration fraud, the concealment of material facts, or by failing to meet good moral character standards. Targeted individuals include those accused of drug trafficking, money laundering, securities fraud, and the sexual abuse of minors.

Among the targets is Neeraj Sharma, a former CEO of a New Jersey staffing company accused of submitting fraudulent H-1B visa petitions between 2015 and 2017 and concealing these acts during his naturalization process. In Colorado, the department filed a complaint against Maria Lourdes Montoya, alleging she was ineligible for citizenship because her husband had assumed the identity of a deceased citizen.

This effort represents a sharp escalation in federal policy. To date, the Trump administration has filed 52 civil denaturalization complaints, more than doubling the 24 cases filed during the entire Biden administration and significantly surpassing the historical annual average of 11 cases between 1990 and 2017. While such proceedings were historically reserved for national security threats or war criminals, the current campaign expands the scope to include financial and immigration fraud.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have characterized American citizenship as a privilege that must be earned honestly, stating that the government will use every lawful avenue to remove those who gamed the immigration system.