How would the Trump administration denaturalize immigrant citizens?

Using civil courts lowers the burden of proof

Photo composite illustration of immigrants taking a naturalization ceremony, Ellis Island, immigration forms and DHS logo
The Trump administration is 'trying to create a second class of US citizens' with fewer rights
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

The next step in the Trump administration's deportation campaign is here. The Department of Justice will prioritize stripping citizenship from naturalized Americans it says have violated the law, a process known as denaturalization.

Denaturalization gives the White House "another tool to police immigrants' free speech rights," said Axios. The administration has already used the deportation process to target immigrant students who criticized Israel's war on Gaza, including green-card holder Mahmoud Khalil. The Justice Department guidance says denaturalization proceedings will be focused on "terrorists," as well as people convicted of "war crimes," "extrajudicial killings" and "human rights abuses."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.