TRAC Immigration: As Denaturalization Lawsuits Surge, Their Basis Lacks Transparency

TRAC Immigration:  As Denaturalization Lawsuits Surge, Their Basis Lacks Transparency

From TRAC Immigration: "Denaturalization remains an ongoing Department of Justice (DoJ) civil enforcement priority. In July 2026 at least 50 denaturalization complaints were filed in that single month, an all-time high. This brought the total during the first seven months of 2026 to at least 105 denaturalization suits filed this year.[1] Yet despite this surge in denaturalization suits, the government has released very little information about the underlying basis for these suits and current rules prevent public access to almost all of these court filings."

Table 1. Civil Denaturalization Lawsuits Filed by State in Federal District Courts Seeking to Revoke the U.S. Citizenship of Individuals, January 2008 to July 2026

State2008-20252026Total
January - JuneJuly
Alaska--11
Arizona--22
Arkansas--11
California213226
Colorado31-4
Connecticut12-3
Delaware-123
District of Columbia81-9
Florida3010949
Georgia64313
Illinois-2-2
Indiana1--1
Iowa32-5
Kansas71-8
Kentucky1--1
Maryland-4610
Massachusetts--11
Michigan--11
Minnesota5218
Mississippi-112
Missouri-2-2
Nevada-1-1
New Hampshire1-12
New Jersey1113
New Mexico--11
New York83-11
North Carolina3328
Ohio1-23
Oklahoma-1-1
Oregon71-8
Pennsylvania-415
South Carolina--11
Tennessee-123
Texas63716
Utah1-12
Washington6-17
Wisconsin51-6
Total1255550230
figure2

Figure 2. Civil Denaturalization Complaints Filed by Calendar Year in Federal District Courts Seeking to Revoke the U.S. Citizenship of Individuals, January 2008 to July 31, 2026

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Immigration Article of the Day:  Administrative Procedural Discretion by Bijal Shah

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Administrative Procedural Discretion by Bijal Shah, Cornell Law Review forthcoming Abstract The conservative Supreme Court has established maximum presidential control over formal administrative adjudication, despite the resulting impact on independence and expertise in adjudicatory process. Concurrently, a progressive public law perspective advocates for agencies to be released from procedure to

By Kevin R. Johnson