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Nigerians living in the United States may be among those impacted as the United States government moves to significantly expand efforts to revoke citizenship from naturalised Americans, following fresh immigration directives linked to former President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
According to officials familiar with the development, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun reassigning personnel and redeploying immigration experts across its field offices to aggressively identify potential cases for denaturalisation.
The renewed push is expected to generate between 100 and 200 denaturalisation cases every month, marking a sharp increase from previous years. During Trump’s first term in office, only 102 denaturalisation cases were filed over a four-year period, according to official data. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Denaturalisation is the legal process through which the U.S. government revokes citizenship previously granted to immigrants, usually on grounds of fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of criminal records during the naturalisation process.
Speaking on the development, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said investigations are initiated only when there is credible evidence of wrongdoing.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalization process and will pursue denaturalization proceedings against any individual who lied or misrepresented facts,” Tragesser said.
He added that the agency is working closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to protect the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.
Authorities disclosed that denaturalisation cases would prioritise individuals linked to national security threats, war crimes, torture, government fraud, as well as other serious offences.
The expanded citizenship review is part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy that includes mass deportation operations, visa cancellations, expanded detention centres, and renewed efforts to deport some green card holders.
The Justice Department has reportedly instructed its attorneys nationwide to treat denaturalisation cases as a top priority, while trained staff are being embedded across more than 80 USCIS field offices to fast-track investigations.
Donald Trump has consistently advocated for a restrictive interpretation of U.S. citizenship and has openly challenged birthright citizenship, an issue currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, Trump vowed to remove individuals he described as “not a net asset” to the United States, stating that migrants who threaten national stability would be targeted for denaturalisation.
Despite the renewed enforcement drive, immigration experts stress that citizenship revocation remains rare and is subject to strict legal safeguards.
Doug Rand, a former senior USCIS official, emphasised that no president has unilateral power to revoke citizenship.
“It’s important for naturalized citizens to understand that stripping citizenship is legally complex and cannot be done at the whim of any administration,” he said.
About 800,000 immigrants become naturalised U.S. citizens annually, after meeting requirements including lawful permanent residency, English proficiency, civic knowledge, and proof of good moral character.
