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DOJ Moves To Strip People Of Citizenship Based On Their Political Beliefs (www.npr.org)
submitted 1 day ago by Zerush@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml
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DOJ Citizenship Revocation Plans Raise Constitutional Concerns

The Justice Department issued a June 11, 2025 memo directing attorneys to "maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings," sparking concerns about potential political targeting of naturalized citizens[^1]. While the memo lists priorities like national security threats and criminal conduct, it includes broad language allowing cases deemed "sufficiently important to pursue"[^1].

Legal experts warn this discretion could enable politically motivated denaturalization. "The politicization of citizenship rights is something that really worries me, I think it's just flatly inconsistent with our democratic system," said Cassandra Burke Robertson, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University[^7].

Recent events highlight these concerns:

  • The White House press secretary indicated support for investigating NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's citizenship based on rap lyrics[^6]
  • Trump suggested examining Elon Musk's citizenship status after Musk criticized his spending bill[^14]
  • Trump threatened to revoke Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship, though this is legally impossible as she was born in the U.S.[^14]

Constitutional scholars emphasize that denaturalization through civil proceedings "lacks many constitutional protections," with no right to court-appointed lawyers or jury trials[^14]. The Supreme Court previously restricted denaturalization in 1967, ruling it "inconsistent with the American form of democracy, because it creates two levels of citizenship"[^1].

"Denaturalization is exceedingly rare and has occurred for people who concealed information of war crimes, Nazi membership, criminal histories, or immigration fraud such as using a stolen identity," said Michelle Mittelstadt of the Migration Policy Institute[^14].

[^1]: NPR - DOJ announces plans to prioritize cases to revoke citizenship

[^6]: MSNBC - Trump's DOJ issues memo on plan to strip citizenship

[^7]: CNN - Law used to kick out Nazis could be used to strip citizenship from many more Americans

[^14]: PolitiFact - Can Donald Trump revoke Rosie O'Donnell's U.S. citizenship?

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[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 36 points 1 day ago

We are rapidly approaching the end of the poem. You know the one.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 2 points 23 hours ago

nothing seems to hold sway when i comes to inconvenience for the ones that can afford change.

[-] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 2 points 23 hours ago

Thought this was the onion

[-] AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world 62 points 1 day ago

Elon might have actually committed immigration fraud. He admitted to working on the USA without a visa. But then again, if the system can't do its do diligence at the time of nationalization why would it be able to later?

[-] FishLake@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Who cares if Elon worked in the US without a visa? Thousands of immigrants do the same. The US government doesn’t want to do its due diligence with the immigration process. They have purposely make the immigration process circuitous in order to create a second-class, undocumented, cheap pool of labor. But as thanks to austerity and gutting of the nation’s social safety net, their need for a scapegoat grows. Immigrants fill that role for now. Giving immigrants due process of law goes against their objective of pitting them against the documented working class. But ICE isn’t going black bag and deport Elon. He is a part of the owning class, and while they might charge him with visa fraud, Elon will be afforded an opportunity to defend himself, either in court or with his immense capital.

[-] violetsoftness@piefed.blahaj.zone 41 points 1 day ago

Rich people have never had to abide by the rules

[-] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

I'm surprised Trump hasn't used that admission to try to get rid of him already honestly. Yeah he's got money, but with that admission I'd assume the government would just try to seize all of his assets as proceeds from that criminal act.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago

he does not want to create precedence for people being punished for what they say on camera.

[-] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 day ago

Doing that would scare the other rich people away, and he doesn't want that.

[-] workerONE@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago

How many felonies does the president have?

[-] arin@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

More if Epstein documents are declassified without censorship.

[-] perishthethought@piefed.social 38 points 1 day ago

He continued, "Anyone who has abused the privilege of the opportunity of becoming a U.S. citizen should have that citizenship revoked when they engage in such reprehensible behavior."

Cool. Do Trump first.

[-] graymess@hexbear.net 19 points 1 day ago

I feel like I should get around to renewing my passport.

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

Better go with a red MAGA hat to do it-

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If all people which are against Trump are expulsed, the US will be a country of rednecks, to stupid to pee a hole in the snow and the running joke of the rest of the world

[-] Grepfruit@lemmy.ml 32 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

People thought the Nazis were a joke too. Also you're already the running joke of the world.

[-] No_Ones_Slick_Like_Gaston@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Implying we're not the joke of the world now. Bold, lol.

[-] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

China would take America over in a heartbeat at that point. Just wish all the rest of us had a place to go. I gladly let them keep this shit hole. Let them have this third world shit hole.

[-] choco_crispies@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 day ago

Oh ok cool. So basically a tool for revenge. Nothing bad could come from that..

[-] Bronstein_Tardigrade@lemmygrad.ml 15 points 1 day ago

I have really grown to despise the phrase "raises concerns." It has come to mean that they know it should be raising a 5-alarm response, but they're actually going to do f**k all about it. Maybe Schumer will send a strongly worded letter to Pam Bondi.

[-] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 20 points 1 day ago

The politicization of citizenship rights is something that really worries me, I think it’s just flatly inconsistent with our democratic system

Even the opponents just spew out weasel words.

I'm sorry, your country is fucked; so if y'all could try and keep that fuckery within your borders, that'd be great.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 12 points 1 day ago

Holy guacamole! Psych, socio, and general humanities classes really need to be integrated at age-appropriate levels, in early primary education and ongoing.

this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2025
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