The Justice Department filed 40 denaturalization cases in federal courts between August 21 and October 2, an effort Attorney General Todd Blanche called the “largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” Axios reported October 6. Revoking citizenship requires the government to prove it was obtained illegally or through fraud, under a standard of “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence.” The cases cite underlying offenses including money laundering conspiracy and sexual abuse of a minor, and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said every person involved “lied their way into U.S. citizenship.” The administration had set a goal of 250 cases by October and earlier identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it wanted to revoke. Judges will decide each case, but the volume shows how central the tool has become to the administration’s immigration agenda.
Sources: Axios.