Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed reports of an aggressive new immigration plan for a potential second term. An internal memo, first reported by The New York Times, outlines a strategy to denaturalize 100 to 200 individuals per day starting in the 2026 fiscal year. This marks a dramatic escalation in efforts to strip people of their American citizenship.
What is Denaturalization and Who is at Risk?
Denaturalization is the legal process of revoking an individual's US citizenship. It is the opposite of naturalization. Crucially, this process cannot be applied to native-born Americans. It is typically initiated if authorities discover that a person obtained citizenship fraudulently, for instance by lying during the application process, or if serious national security concerns arise.
Under current law, denaturalization is a lengthy and complex procedure that must go through the courts. From 2017 to 2025, there were just over 120 such cases completed. The proposed target of 100-200 cases per day is therefore seen as a radical shift in scale and pace.
The Staggering Numbers Behind the Plan
The internal directive, issued to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices, asks them to supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with a massive monthly quota of cases. Trump, while confirming the reports, stated he was unsure if he had the power to enact such a plan but asserted he "would absolutely do it."
He justified the move by claiming that "many criminals came into the country during the Biden administration" and are now naturalized citizens who "should not remain in the US." There are approximately 26 million naturalized Americans in the United States, according to Census Bureau data. USCIS statistics show that over 800,000 people became new citizens last year, with major birth countries being Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam.
Consequences and Global Implications
What happens to someone who is denaturalized? In most instances, individuals revert to being legal permanent residents. However, the administration could then seek to deport them, a step usually reserved for high-risk cases. This policy, if implemented, would directly impact hundreds of thousands of families and communities across the nation.
The announcement has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities and drawn sharp criticism from legal experts. The proposed volume of cases is not only logistically daunting but also raises profound questions about due process and the stability of citizenship for millions. For countries like India, which consistently ranks among the top sources of new US citizens, this policy shift carries significant implications for the diaspora.
