Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration plans to revoke the U.S. citizenship of naturalized immigrants convicted of defrauding American citizens, signaling a tougher approach to immigration enforcement and citizenship oversight.
Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the policy would apply to naturalized immigrants from Somalia “or anywhere else,” framing the move as part of a broader effort to protect Americans from financial crimes and abuse of the immigration system.
“We’re also going to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant from Somalia or anywhere else who is convicted of defrauding our citizens,” Trump told the audience.
The remarks underscore the administration’s continued emphasis on strict immigration policies and aggressive law enforcement measures. Trump has repeatedly argued that citizenship should be reserved for those who fully comply with U.S. laws and has portrayed fraud and other crimes by immigrants as a threat to public trust and national security.
While Trump did not provide details on how such revocations would be carried out, U.S. law already allows for denaturalization in limited circumstances, typically involving cases where citizenship was obtained through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of material facts during the naturalization process. Legal experts note that revoking citizenship after it has been granted is a complex and often lengthy legal process that generally requires court proceedings.
Civil rights advocates have raised concerns in the past that broad rhetoric around denaturalization could create fear among immigrant communities and blur the distinction between criminal prosecution and immigration enforcement. They also warn that targeting specific nationalities in public statements risks stigmatizing entire communities.
The administration has not yet released formal guidance or legal criteria outlining how the proposed policy would be implemented. However, Trump’s comments suggest that denaturalization could play a more prominent role in his broader agenda on immigration, crime, and law enforcement as he continues to press for tougher measures against fraud and other offenses.
