General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDOJ issues directive to strip naturalized citizens of citizenship
The Trump administration has codified its efforts to strip some Americans of their US citizenship in a recently published justice department memo that directs attorneys to prioritize denaturalization for naturalized citizens who commit certain crimes.
The memo, published on 11 June, calls on attorneys in the department to institute civil proceedings to revoke a persons United States citizenship if an individual either illegally procured naturalization or procured naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
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According to the memo, those subjected to civil proceedings are not entitled to an attorney like they are in criminal cases. And the government has a lighter burden of proof in civil cases than they do in criminal ones.
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On 13 June, a judge ordered the revocation of the citizenship of Elliott Duke. Duke is a US military veteran originally from the UK who was convicted for distributing child sexual abuse material and had not disclosed the crime during the naturalization process.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/30/trump-birthright-citizenship-naturalized-citizens

travelingthrulife
(2,787 posts)RandomNumbers
(18,718 posts)Not sure of the details with Melania.
But it is well documented that Eloon was an illegal immigrant for at least a few months. "illegal" enough, that is, if someone is doing the same thing today and their skin is the wrong color, Trump would boot them as a "criminal" and possibly send them off to a torture prison.
Rebl2
(16,596 posts)OLDMDDEM
(2,580 posts)Lovie777
(19,100 posts)DOJ is extremely corrupt which believes that they dont have to follow any laws nor the Constitution.
allegorical oracle
(5,232 posts)
underpants
(191,197 posts)How can you not have a lawyer?
I cant believe the President of UVa was forced out
Unbelievable
allegorical oracle
(5,232 posts)committed in another country but failed to admit during your naturalization here. Why would people think to admit that prior offense if they figured they already paid that penalty years earlier?
underpants
(191,197 posts)EdmondDantes_
(564 posts)Same as when you apply for a job and they ask if you've had a criminal conviction.
Disaffected
(5,710 posts)you cannot have a lawyer - it means you are not entitled to have a lawyer appointed for you if you cannot afford one(?)
underpants
(191,197 posts)
Disaffected
(5,710 posts)
berniesandersmittens
(12,137 posts)To poor folks, that IS denial of a lawyer.
Disaffected
(5,710 posts)But it is my understanding in US law, the state will assign a lawyer if need-be only in criminal cases, not civil(?).
dalton99a
(89,073 posts)Prioritizing Denaturalization
The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a persons United States citizenship if an individual either illegally procured naturalization or procured naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a). The benefits of civil denaturalization include the governments ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport. At a fundamental level, it also supports the overall integrity of the naturalization program by ensuring that those who unlawfully procured citizenship, including those who obtained it through fraud or concealment of material information, do not maintain the benefits of the unlawful procurement.
The Civil Division shall prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence. To promote the pursuit of all viable denaturalization cases available under 8 U.S.C. § 1451 and maintain the integrity of the naturalization system while simultaneously ensuring an appropriate allocation of resources, the Civil Division has established the following categories of priorities for denaturalization cases:
1. Cases against individuals who pose a potential danger to national security, including those with a nexus to terrorism, espionage, or the unlawful export from the United States of sensitive goods, technology, or information raising national security concerns;
2. Cases against individuals who engaged in torture, war crimes, or other human rights violations;
3. Cases against individuals who further or furthered the unlawful enterprise of criminal gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and drug cartels;
4. Cases against individuals who committed felonies that were not disclosed during the naturalization process;
5. Cases against individuals who committed human trafficking, sex offenses, or violent crimes;
6. Cases against individuals who engaged in various forms of financial fraud against the United States (including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud and Medicaid/Medicare fraud);
7. Cases against individuals who engaged in fraud against private individuals, funds, or corporations;
8. Cases against individuals who acquired naturalization through government corruption, fraud, or material misrepresentations, not otherwise addressed by another priority category;
9. Cases referred by a United States Attorneys Office or in connection with pending criminal charges, if those charges do not fit within one of the other priorities; and
10. Any other cases referred to the Civil Division that the Division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.
These categories are intended to guide the Civil Division in prioritizing which cases to pursue; however, these categories do not limit the Civil Division from pursuing any particular case, nor are they listed in a particular order of importance. Further, the Civil Division retains the discretion to pursue cases outside of these categories as it determines appropriate. The assignment of denaturalization cases may be made across sections or units based on experience, subject-matter expertise, and the overall needs of the Civil Division.
https://www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl
allegorical oracle
(5,232 posts)catch-all.
dalton99a
(89,073 posts)




