Can my US citizenship be taken away?

We know this news is frightening. Here is the truth: for nearly every citizen, your citizenship is safe. This page explains when it is not. It is general information, not legal advice.

What if I was born a citizen?

Your citizenship cannot be taken away. The law that lets the government take citizenship back covers only people who naturalized.

A citizen loses citizenship only by choosing to give it up. The person must act on their own free will and mean to give it up, for example by formally renouncing it in person at a U.S. embassy abroad. The State Department starts from the idea that you want to keep your citizenship. Having a second nationality does not, by itself, cost you your U.S. citizenship.

Can the government take back citizenship I got by naturalizing?

Yes, but only in narrow cases, and only a federal judge can do it. This is called denaturalization.

USCIS cannot do it on its own. A court order from 2001 (Gorbach v. Reno) still stops USCIS from revoking citizenship in its own office. Only a federal court can.

There are two ways a case can start:

What can lead to losing citizenship?

Every ground in the law is about how you got citizenship:

• You were not eligible when you naturalized. For example, you did not have a valid green card, did not meet the time in the U.S. rules, or did not have good moral character during the required period. This can apply even if you did not lie on purpose.
• You hid or lied about something important on purpose, on the application or at the interview, and that helped you get citizenship. Leaving something out counts, not just saying something false.
• You joined a Communist, other totalitarian, or terrorist group within five years after you naturalized.
• You naturalized through military service and were discharged under other than honorable conditions before five years of honorable service.

A small mistake that did not matter is not enough. In 2017 the Supreme Court said that, in a criminal case, the government must show the lie played a role in getting citizenship (Maslenjak v. United States). The Court noted that people sometimes give wrong answers out of embarrassment or fear, and those alone should not cost them their citizenship.

A crime committed after your oath day is not on this list. USCIS says the government generally cannot bring a case against someone who was eligible when they naturalized but committed crimes later (USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part L, Chapter 2). What can matter is conduct from before your oath, even if you were charged or convicted later. The same chapter lists a court case where charges were filed before the naturalization interview and the conviction came after. If that is your worry, talk to a lawyer before you do anything else.

Who is the government going after in 2026?

On June 11, 2025, the head of DOJ's Civil Division told staff to "prioritize and maximally pursue" denaturalization. The memo lists the kinds of cases that come first, including:

• National security cases, like terrorism and spying
• Torture, war crimes and human rights abuses
• Gangs, cartels and organized crime
• Felonies not disclosed during naturalization
• Human trafficking, sex crimes and violent crimes
• Fraud against the government, such as Medicare, Medicaid or PPP loan fraud, and fraud against people or businesses
• Citizenship gained through corruption, fraud or lies

The pace has picked up sharply. Researchers at TRAC counted 8 civil cases in all of 2025 and 166 from 2008 through June 12, 2026. DOJ said on August 3, 2026 that it had filed 123 civil denaturalization complaints since January 20, 2025. Then DOJ announced 40 new cases filed between August 21 and October 2, 2026. DOJ says these complaints are allegations only, and no court has decided them.

USCIS changed its own rules too. On September 14, 2026, USCIS rewrote the part of its Policy Manual on referring cases for denaturalization (Policy Alert PA-2026-13). Here is what it says now:

• USCIS looks back at your citizenship when you file for someone else. For any pending or future petition filed by a U.S. citizen, USCIS checks whether that person lawfully got citizenship. A petition for a spouse, parent or child is one example.
• It names the cases it sends first. USCIS refers cases to ICE, and sometimes straight to DOJ. Its priority list includes national security, serious public safety and human rights cases, gangs and cartels, felonies not disclosed during naturalization, trafficking, sex and violent crimes, fraud against the government or private people, false identities, false claims to U.S. citizenship, voting in U.S. elections before naturalizing, and marriage fraud.
• Old criminal cases can become civil cases. A criminal case has a 10 year limit. USCIS says cases past that limit can still be referred for a civil case, which has no time limit.
• Family members' cases can be reviewed. After someone loses citizenship, USCIS may review any petition that person filed for relatives, to see whether the relative was or is still eligible.

The honest picture: cases are rising, and most target people accused of serious crimes or of lying about them. The grounds in the law are the same as before. The government still has to prove its case in front of a judge.

What happens if a judge takes my citizenship?

• The law treats it as if you never naturalized. The revocation goes back to your original oath date.
• You lose the rights of a citizen. DHS has said it will use every lawful avenue to denaturalize and remove people, so deportation can follow.
• Your children may be affected. If your citizenship is taken for lying or hiding facts, a child who became a citizen through you can lose citizenship too, wherever they live. Ask a lawyer how this applies to your family.

What do I do if I get court papers?

1. Do not ignore them. The law gives you 60 days from personal service to answer a civil case. A missed deadline can mean you lose without being heard.
2. Call a lawyer today. This is a federal court case. You need an immigration lawyer, and ideally one who also handles federal court cases. See How to find a lawyer you can trust.
3. Do not talk about your old application with investigators or agents until you have legal advice.
4. Gather your papers: your Certificate of Naturalization, your green card history, and any copies of your citizenship application. If you do not have them, you can ask for a copy of your immigration file. See How to get a copy of your immigration file.
5. Watch for scams. Nobody can sell you protection for your citizenship. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

I am worried, but nothing has happened. Should I do anything?

If you told the truth and were eligible, you do not need to do anything. Live your life. Vote, travel and keep your passport current.

If something on your old application worries you, such as an arrest you did not list, get a private consultation with an immigration lawyer or accredited representative. Do not file anything or contact USCIS to "fix" it on your own first.

Planning to file for a relative? Because USCIS now checks how a citizen petitioner got citizenship, a worry about your old application is a reason to see a lawyer before you file an I-130 or other petition, not after. See Can my US citizen son or daughter sponsor me? for one example of a family petition.

An example

This is a made up example to show the steps.

Ana became a citizen in 2015. In 2012 she was arrested for shoplifting, and the case was dismissed. On her N-400 she answered "No" to the arrest question because she thought a dismissed case did not count. Now she wants to file for her mother.

1. She does not contact USCIS, and she does not file the petition yet.
2. She gets her court records and her old N-400. See How to get a copy of your immigration file.
3. She books a private consultation with an immigration lawyer and brings both.
4. The lawyer reviews whether the missing answer mattered to her case, and what filing for her mother could bring up. Then they decide together on the timing.

The example shows the order of steps, not a likely outcome. Every case turns on its own facts.

Who can help?

These are free or low cost public offices and nonprofits. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. For low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Walk in help Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road. Its services list does not name denaturalization cases (checked October 21, 2026), so ask when you call.
• More free and low cost options: Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area.
• Check that a lawyer is licensed: State Bar of California attorney search, or call 1-800-843-9053.

Only an attorney or a DOJ accredited representative may give you legal advice. Not every legal aid office takes federal court cases, so ask when you call.

You worked hard for your citizenship. The law protects it, and it takes a judge and strong proof to take it away. Hold on to that, and do not carry this worry alone.