The Justice Department is prioritizing efforts to strip some Americans of their U.S. citizenship, ordering its prosecutors to prioritize revoking the status of naturalized immigrants who have committed certain crimes, drawing criticism from civil rights advocates.

The department's leadership is reportedly directing its attorneys to prioritize denaturalization in cases involving naturalized citizens who commit certain crimes, and giving U.S. attorneys greater discretion over when to use the tactic, according to a June 11 memo posted online. The measure targets U.S. citizens not born in the country; According to 2023 data, nearly 25 million immigrants were naturalized citizens.

To that end, DOJ Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate sent a memo warning that his office will “prioritize and promote to the fullest extent” of denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by evidence.

The June 11 memo, cited by NBC, instructs prosecutors in that division to “promote” the processing of all viable denaturalization cases, maintaining the integrity of the naturalization system.

The DOJ details ten violations for which naturalized individuals can have their citizenship revoked, ranging from fraud to war crimes.

Individuals who pose a potential danger to national security, including those with ties to terrorism, espionage, or who participated in torture, war crimes, or other human rights violations, make part of the priorities.

Also included are proceedings against individuals who promoted or encouraged the activities of transnational criminal gangs and drug cartels, as well as foreigners who committed serious crimes that were not revealed during the naturalization process.

In addition,The DOJ has opened a front against naturalized citizens who participated in various forms of financial fraud, including crimes against the public insurance program Medicaid.

But the memo also states that “any other case” referred to the Civil Division that is deemed important enough to investigate will be evaluated, giving DOJ prosecutors greater discretion over when to initiate denaturalization proceedings.

Organizations such as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) have condemned the vagueness and broad scope of the directive.

“The Trump Administration’s initiative to revoke citizenship is alarming and raises serious concerns regarding the Fourteenth Amendment,” NACDL President Christopher Wellborn said in a press release.

The attorney said the wording of the memo “suggests” that any crime, at any time, can be used to justify denaturalization.

“It is not difficult to imagine a scenario where the The government is invoking unfounded allegations of gang affiliation… to claim that citizenship was obtained illegally. The threat to due process, especially without the guarantee of legal representation, is incalculable," he said. With information from EFE.