USCIS Denaturalization Policy: What Naturalized Citizens Should Know

• USCIS changes denaturalization policy
• Citizenship is not automatically revoked
• Fraud can lead to denaturalization

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its guidelines for reviewing and prioritizing cases that could be referred for possible revocation of naturalization, a change that took effect immediately on September 14, 2026.

According to el Nuevo Herald, the update reorganizes the internal instructions used to identify possible denaturalization cases and clarifies which ones may receive priority, but it does not mean that millions of naturalized citizens will automatically lose their citizenship, nor does it establish new grounds for revoking it on its own.

The measure is linked, among other presidential actions, to Executive Order 14148 by President Donald Trump, which in January 2025 revoked 78 orders and memoranda from the Joe Biden administration, including Executive Order 14012 related to the legal immigration system.

For naturalized citizens, the distinction is key: USCIS can investigate and refer a case, but revocation of naturalization requires the corresponding legal process and does not occur simply because the agency decides to review a case again.

USCIS Denaturalization Policy Updates Case Review Priorities

USCIS changes policy on citizenship revocation: what naturalized citizens should know https://t.co/RFnfL3rdcS @MaykelGonz53593

— el Nuevo Herald (@elnuevoherald) September 16, 2026

The core principles remain in effect: naturalization can be challenged when it was obtained illegally or when citizenship was obtained through intentional concealment or willful misrepresentation of a material fact during the immigration process.

Illegal procurement may involve failure to meet requirements that were necessary for naturalization, including residence, physical presence, lawful admission as a permanent resident, good moral character, and other criteria established by U.S. law.

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According to UNOTV, in cases involving false statements or omissions, factors such as whether there was misrepresentation or concealment, whether the conduct was deliberate, whether the information was material, and whether citizenship was obtained as a result of that conduct must be analyzed.

The new policy focuses especially on how USCIS identifies, evaluates, and prioritizes cases for possible referral, while maintaining the existing legal grounds for revocation of naturalization.

Can USCIS Directly Revoke U.S. Citizenship?

The update does not grant USCIS the authority to unilaterally revoke the citizenship of a naturalized citizen: denaturalization cases can proceed through civil proceedings or, under certain circumstances, criminal proceedings before federal courts.

In a civil proceeding, the government must prove the grounds for revocation under a high standard of proof; a USCIS investigation, review, or referral, on its own, does not amount to an order revoking U.S. citizenship.

There is also an important distinction between administratively canceling a Certificate of Naturalization that was illegally or fraudulently issued and revoking the citizenship of someone who legally completed the naturalization process, received approval, and took the Oath of Allegiance.

The update, therefore, increases the importance of USCIS’s internal reviews and referral priorities, but naturalized citizens retain the protections and procedures established by law before revocation can occur.

What Naturalized Citizens Should Know About the USCIS Policy Change

The USCIS update does not mean that all naturalized citizens will be subject to a new investigation or that the agency can automatically revoke citizenship. The change focuses on the internal guidelines used to review and prioritize cases in which there may be possible legal grounds for initiating a denaturalization process.

For a naturalized citizen, the central issue remains how citizenship was obtained. Cases that can trigger review include those in which the government believes the person did not originally meet a naturalization requirement or deliberately concealed or misrepresented material information during the immigration process.

This can involve information presented not only in the naturalization application but also in immigration records related to permanent residence and other elements that determined eligibility. However, detecting a possible irregularity does not itself mean losing citizenship: the procedures established by federal law must be followed.

Naturalized citizens who receive an official communication related to an investigation, case review, or possible denaturalization should pay close attention to the deadlines and content of the document. It is also advisable to keep copies of immigration applications, interview records, residence documents, and records used during the naturalization process.