No, the Government Can’t Just Take Away Your Citizenship
Despite Trump’s threats, citizenship is a constitutional right that’s difficult to revoke once granted. He’s tried it before.
All US citizens — included naturalized Americans — are protected by the Constitution.
Photographer: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
In a memo last month listing its law enforcement priorities, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice prioritized stripping citizenship from naturalized citizens who pose threats to the US, including national security dangers, terrorism, gang affiliations and fraud. Given the administration’s aggressive — and sometimes lawless — efforts to deport noncitizens, including those exercising their First Amendment rights, it’s not surprising that the document has drawn both concern and criticism.
However, the legal reality is that once you’ve obtained citizenship, you have a constitutional right to keep it — a principle affirmed by a Supreme Court decision nearly 60 years ago. Citizenship can only be revoked if it was obtained illegally in the first place or if the individual lied about or concealed a material fact during the naturalization process. Even then, revocation can only happen after a proceeding before a federal district court judge.