DOJ Moves to Strip Citizenship from 40 Convicted Criminals: What Naturalized Citizens Should Know

What the DOJ Announced

On October 5, 2026, the DOJ announced that it had filed denaturalization cases involving 40 naturalized citizens. According to the Department, the cases involve allegations including immigration fraud, money laundering, tax offenses, sexual offenses, crimes involving children, and other serious criminal conduct.

The government is not simply treating these criminal convictions as automatic grounds for cancellation of citizenship. The cases generally involve allegations that a person was not legally entitled to naturalize or that important information was concealed or misrepresented during the immigration or naturalization process.

Why Criminal History Can Matter in Denaturalization

Criminal history can become important in a denaturalization case when the underlying conduct occurred before naturalization or when information about the conduct was relevant to the person's eligibility for immigration benefits or citizenship.

For example, the government may argue that a person obtained citizenship unlawfully because the person concealed a criminal history, made a material misrepresentation, or failed to meet a requirement for naturalization. The specific facts and the information available to immigration authorities at the time can therefore be critical.

• Timing: When did the alleged conduct occur compared with the naturalization process?
• Disclosure: What information did the applicant provide to immigration authorities?
• Materiality: Did the alleged omission or misrepresentation actually matter to eligibility for naturalization?
• Records: What do the immigration, naturalization, and criminal court records show?

A Conviction Does Not Automatically Revoke Citizenship

A naturalized U.S. citizen does not automatically lose citizenship simply because the person is convicted of a serious crime. Denaturalization is a separate legal process in which the government must establish an appropriate legal basis for revoking naturalization.

This distinction is especially important for naturalized citizens who have criminal convictions from years after they became U.S. citizens. A later conviction may have serious criminal consequences, but it does not by itself mean that the person's citizenship was unlawfully obtained.

What to Do If You Are Targeted

A person who receives a federal complaint seeking denaturalization should treat it as a serious legal matter and obtain legal advice promptly. The government may be seeking to undo citizenship that was granted years or even decades earlier.

An attorney may need to review the person's complete immigration and criminal history rather than relying only on the allegations in the complaint. Relevant documents can include prior visa applications, adjustment applications, the naturalization application, naturalization interview records, immigration court records, and criminal court documents.

1. Obtain and carefully review the denaturalization complaint and supporting allegations.
2. Collect the person's immigration and naturalization records.
3. Review the criminal history and underlying court dispositions.
4. Determine what was disclosed to immigration authorities and when.
5. Evaluate whether the government's allegations establish a legally sufficient basis for denaturalization.

How an Attorney Can Help

Denaturalization litigation can have consequences far beyond the citizenship case itself. If naturalization is successfully revoked, the person may once again be subject to immigration laws that apply to noncitizens, potentially creating serious removal consequences.

Because every case depends on the person's individual immigration history and the government's specific allegations, a careful review of the underlying records is essential. Naturalized citizens with significant criminal or immigration histories may also benefit from obtaining their records and understanding potential issues before responding to government action.

If you have received a denaturalization complaint or are concerned about information from your prior immigration or naturalization process, legal advice should be sought promptly.