rump's DOJ targets naturalized Americans

Jul 5, 2025

Under Donald Trump, the Justice Department is moving to scrutinize millions of naturalized Americans for possible denaturalization, not just serious criminals or terrorists, but anyone they decide is a threat, warns law professor Cassandra Burke Robertson. A recent memo gives prosecutors sweeping power to target naturalized citizens.

“It’s a tool of autocrats,” Robertson explains, noting that leaders like Putin and Hungary’s Orbán use it to stifle dissent. And don’t count on the Supreme Court to step in, says Dean Obeidallah. From abortion rights to citizenship, this Court has shown no hesitation in tearing down precedent. “Instead of moving us forward [toward] more democracy,” Obeidallah says, “this Court has gone backwards."