The public expresses significant anxiety and fear regarding the risks of denaturalization, particularly concerning green card holders and naturalized citizens. Many commenters highlight concerns about political motivations, loss of citizenship rights, and potential government overreach. While some support strict immigration control, others advocate for the protection of immigrant rights, reflecting a polarized sentiment dominated by distrust in current immigration policies and fears of discrimination based on race or socio-economic status.

U.S. Government

Immigration Advocacy Groups

Naturalized Citizens

If they really do get to the point of denaturalising US citizens, a prior letter of intent to retain citizenship won't mean a damn thing.

Thousands of Americans naturalise or obtain citizenship by descent overseas every year, the Supreme Court has clearly ruled that holding a second citizenship is perfectly legal.

AirBiscuitBarrel

US-Portuguese dual citizen here.

Personally I think it’s a lot more likely that I will need my Portuguese passport for passage out of the US than the US government making me give it up.

PurplestPanda

I understand your nervousness, but I’m going to be frank: at this point my EU country passport is more valuable to me than my US one—especially because of what’s happening politically.

RemarkableGlitter

They make too much money off of people renouncing they aren't gonna take it away and lose the grift!

Safe_Place8432

Dual NL-US citizen here. Left the states 10 years ago. You’re fine.

sunscraps

Do you mean born in Michigan? If so, you’re not at risk because you never naturalized since you would be would be a natural born citizen therefore, your citizenship couldn’t be removed.

Certain_Promise9789

Crazy paranoid.

We are still a long way away from such things. Even with as bad as things are now, yes. If you have the shot at dual citizenship, you should take it, as the insurance is worth it.

LiterallyTestudo

It’s not as simple to renounce. There’s a fee of $2350.00 as well.

WineOrWhine64

If things got that bad, you probably would rather have the Spanish passport anyhow. 

JeffTL

First thing, if you need any help with your LMD application, let me know and I can guide you through it.

Second, from the US side you shouldn't have any problem about dual citizenship, but still watch the events as it seems everything is changing quickly. From the Spanish side, Spain does not recognize dual citizenship with the US for naturalization, but if you become Spanish through the LMD, you'll become a 'born' Spanish citizen, so you should not have any problem (you might still need to show intent of keeping your Spanish nationality not to lose it, such as not letting your Spanish passport expire for more than three years, for example).

albertocsc

Natural-born citizens by definition cannot be denaturalised.

No_Struggle_8184

It is extremely hard to get rid of the U.S. citizenship. However, if the regime decides to remove citizenship, they can do so regardless of what you did, as proven by examples of deporting U.S. citizens so far.

EuCaBttm

There are specific foreign countries that Trump loves with lots of dual citizens. I don't think they will do anything adverse to dual citizens because this would imperil them, and they vote R.

YetYetAnotherPerson

How would the US government know you had acquired another citizenship?

boganvegan

I just went through the process. While some categories of naturalization in Spain require surrendering your original nationality, LMD absolutely, very explicitly does not require renouncing your existing citizenship, so claiming it should not create any issues. It’s not really naturalization, it’s basically claiming birthright citizenship. At any rate, my understanding of USC renunciation is it’s also a paperwork-heavy process you’d actually need to do very intentionally.

Now, who the hell knows, but I don’t think dual citizens are likely anywhere close to a priority for the admin. That said, if we become the kind of country that runs around stripping people of citizenship like that, I expect we’d also be genuinely horribly authoritarian on many more dimensions than that and you’re probably gonna want that escape option.

I’d get going though, given the window created by the law expires soon.

OptimalCommittee5849

I am a naturalized US citizen who just obtained the Spanish citizenship through the democratic memory law. I spoke with two US immigration attorneys and acquiring the Spanish citizenship didn’t jeopardized my US citizenship. When you obtain the Spanish citizenship through the democratic memory law, you don’t have to renounce to your prior citizenship. My son was born after I applied and was born a dual citizen. I would just hurry to do it because the law is ending on October this year. Good luck.

LHR-89

I would collect all the possible exit tokens out of the USA I can get.

The regime is telegraphing that anyone can have their citizenship revoked at any time for any reason.  Best to have a plan B.

Small_Dog_8699

You’re not technically naturalizing in Spain. You’re already Spanish by jus sanguinis and American by jus soli. You’re just completing all the paperwork. Unless I’m misunderstanding the Democratic Memory Law.

PAXICHEN

&gt; INTENT of renouncing your US citizenship

LMD explicitly exempts you from declaring you renounce your previous nationality. So it could never be argued you intended to renounce US nationality. It will explicitly say so in your new Spanish birth record, in the left margin, and in the instruction 17470.

kodos4444

Are you a natural-born US citizen born prior to all of this *(gestures wildly)*? Then you’re fine. There are plenty of us with dual citizenship (or more). We’re a cash cow for the US government because we are obliged to pay US taxes globally.

If you naturalized under false pretences (e.g., running away from a crime you committed ex-US), then you run the risk of being denaturalized. Sure, things may be VeryBad™️ right now, but this is not on the table (for now). Go get your Spanish citizenship while you still have the option.

mattyofurniture

It’s not in danger, but I don’t think that pathway exists anymore.

comments83820

Legally speaking, you won’t be putting your U.S. citizenship in jeopardy by claiming a birthright to Spanish citizenship. What this government will do is a different matter since they don’t really care about the rule of law. That being said I have not seen a single case of citizenship being striped by obtaining citizenship in the EU. I did this same thing with Austria a few years back and the only way the U.S. gov would even know is because I put it on my Global entry membership. Otherwise, they would not know.

Few_Requirement6657

Renunciation of U.S. citizenship is not easy to do. You can’t even do it within U.S. territory.

Constructive renunciation is when you actually join a foreign army, somehow become a combatant against the U.S. in some way. Again, something a federal judge decides. Not just something that happens.

234W44

Speaking solely from historical curiosity / viewpoint purposes (and most definitely not as future-era legal advice!), if you want to see the steps that some people took to try to prevent loss (some of which were successful) prior to the [1990 Baker cable](https://foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/SearchResults.aspx?caseNumber=F-1990-03022) change in loss of nationality policy, you can read through the State Department Board of Appellate Review decisions from that era. There's an archive on the FSU law school website.

Examples: 

* https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/publishedopinions/povol06/6_BAR_%28PO%29_101_%281989%29.pdf

* * Upheld: https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/publishedopinions/povol06/6_BAR_%28PO%29_188_%281989%29.pdf

* https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/publishedopinions/povol04/4_BAR_%28PO%29_229_%281987%29.pdf

tvtoo

[deleted]

Most countries don’t make you give up your US citizenship if you get a dual citizenship somewhere else. If you do. But I agree with you. I’m just so grateful. I have my US passport because I never know when I might need to leave and it might have to be forever.

I would love a Canadian passport, but I don’t think I have any qualifications to get one. I have one for Italy. I got in just under the wire for me and my kids.

Unfortunately, the only thing that forever ties me to the United States is my Social Security and my pension which I’ve paid into for the last 35 years.

The only requirement I know is that if you have 2 passports, the US requires you to use your US passport for travel out of and into the United States.

There is one other point I will make.  It is nearly impossible to get a Federal security clearance if you claim to be a dual citizen.  So if you are in a position that needs a security clearance, you might want to find out if having a 2nd citizenship could jeopardize your clearance.

Zealousideal_Top_436

I heard that Spain doesn't allow dual citizenship unless you meet specific criteria or have ties to a country in South America. I could be wrong, but that is something to look into.

Ophelialost87

I hope you already stated the process because Spain has already put new restrictions in place in those wanting Spanish passports.

MotownMan646

Robie_John

I would say you’re just being super paranoid, I get the political climate is worrying but I don’t even see how Trump could go that far. 

geekyfreakyman

There’s no need to renounce your citizenship if you go through the LMD route. The LMD allows you to keep all your existing citizenships

OkBite5527

Are you being naturalized as a citizen of Spain or recognized as having citizenship from birth? These are two distinct things. Naturalizing means that you only had one citizenship up until you go through the process. Recognition means that you were a citizen at birth and you are being giving those same benefits after the fact.

Bromo_Bro

Back in the 1990’s, my wife and I naturalized in New Zealand and we did exactly what you are proposing. We executed sworn statements witnessed by our solicitor that the allegiance we were about to swear to the Queen was a casual oath and not with intent to renounce our US citizenship. 

That was a different time, though, when information about such things was less widely available, and I had the additional complication of having been born in Germany (to American parents). It seemed a way of making our intent clear if anything ever came up, which of course, it didn’t. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t do that again. I mean, it doesn’t hurt anything, but it’s just not necessary.

LithiumLizzard

I have Mexican citizenship by birth, US citizenship through marriage, and my family is applying to Spanish citizenship through ley de memoria democrática. According to the law all these countries, I get to keep all 3. 

Spain technically asks to renounce other citizenships if you are not a citizen of a country with cultural ties (Latin American countries mostly) but they don’t enforce it and most people have dual citizenship, including the US

LauHeH

You are not allowed to enter a military force other than the USA that’s a big no. They will take it Way from you

Dominican76

Don't worry, the validity of this action (renouncing citizenship when obtaining the Spanish one) is valid only to the Spanish administration. This means that you wouldn't legally be allowed to get into Spain using your American passport, but you wouldn't do that anyway and it's not very enforced. This action is not transfered to other administrations. I have some friends who are Italians and obtained the Spanish citizenship by residency and they still have their Italian citizenship, because to lose it you need to do a formal procedure with the Italian government.
Also: are you sure that via the democratic memory law you need to renounce previous citizenship? I thought that was specifically not required in this case, only when obtaining it via residency or marriage, but I might be wrong 

JCoelho

Paranoid. I have three passports, am a naturalised American, and work in the political space. The thought of my US citizenship being revoked feels quite far-fetched. There’s a reason they make it hard to renounce - $$$$ - it’s a money-maker.

Dear-Cheetah-8419

There is no dual nationality treaty with Spain so you are rolling the dice on both sides.  While both governments currently allow their citizens to hold multiple passports, either one could require you renounce one of your citizenships in the future if circumstances change.

Dimension__X__

Spain typically doesn't allow dual citizenship from countries outside historic Spanish influence. So to get it you'd have to renounce your US citizenship regardless. 

https://www.immigrationspain.es/en/dual-citizenship-in-spain/

Kindly-Ebb3518

josemontana17

Denaturalization has occurred, albeit infrequently across the last few decades.

If you commit naturalization fraud, you can be denaturalized: concealing crime committed that you were not arrested or convicted for, concealing that you registered to vote (even accidentally), marriage fraud, green card fraud, etc.

In 2014 during the Obama adminstration, they tried to denaturalize Divna Maslenjak over a lie on her naturalization forms. The Obama administration insisted that the lie need not be material; as long as any lie was made, she could be denaturalized. 

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in 2017 Maslenjak v. United States that this was illegal -- she can only be denaturalized if the lies were material, i.e. if the official knew about the true facts, they would have denied naturalization. 

7 of the judges that ruled that denaturalization can only be on material fraud are still on the court, and includes all the most conservative judges. This Supreme Court has not overturned their own rulings (same judges) ever, so we can expect that this would continue to hold.

If you didn't conceal anything on your naturalization forms, you're fine. If you lied about crimes you were not arrested for, if you lied about drug use (including marijuana, which is federally illegal and federal law trumps state law), then yes you should be worried.

Crimes committed after naturalization cannot result in denaturalization per the INA. However, it's not unconstitutional, just due to laws passed by Congress. Many countries like France, UK, and Australia allow this for particularly serious crimes.

not_an_immi_lawyer

I am a naturalized citizen and have been fearing that calls for denaturalization, or rather a big change to the sanctity of citizenship, will happen. Everyone told me that would never happen. Now we have sitting congressmen calling for the denaturalization of a mayoral candidate because they don't like his platform. This is a huge deal.

National_Ad_682

I would encourage everyone to pay attention to whether the definition of “criminal” or “fraud” shifts over time with this. I find it purposeful that they’re announcing this effort in tandem with this hideous case. It’s creating this association that if you’re denaturalized, then OF COURSE you did something terrible to deserve it. And yes, this person absolutely deserved it. 

I hope I’m wrong but I have a feeling a lot of past “paperwork errors” are about to be uncovered.

phdatanerd

It’s not vague at all. They gonna do it.

loggywd

Its not fear mongering, these people follow through on what they say

douche_packer

They hired and keep hiring piles of ICE agents and bounty hunters and borrowing people from other security branches. You think they will just lay them all off in a year? I think the writing is on the wall for us. They ran out of actual criminals in 3 months.

Comrade281

So everyone on the Epstein list should have their citizenship revoked?

MightyM4lik

This article quotes Hans Von Spakovaky, a conservative henchman advocating for voter suppression and immigration shadiness for decades, as saying that it doesn't matter when crimes are committed and that they should be able to denaturalize you for *crimes committed after obtaining US citizenship.*

The government can bring trumped of charges against naturalized citizens, convict them (because most criminal cases result in conviction), strip them of their citizenship and deport them. This effectively created two tiers of citizens.

Please don't come at me with the seriousness of charges needed here. If the government can make a charge stick, you're toast as a naturalized citizen.

feuwbar

No one’s citizenship is safe. Even *jus soli* (birthright) citizenship is now in danger. 

Look what they are doing to the guy (lawful immigrant) who merely protested against the Israeli government’s actions and policies. They admit he broke no laws. But are using a clause in an old law about the Secretary of State deeming an action impeding foreign policy objectives of the U.S. It’s crazy that they would even try this route with at best flimsy evidence. The point was to scare everyone and they managed to shut down free speech on every campus since then.

This is regressing to McCarthy level shit. We don’t even have to Supreme Court to protect us now.

pqratusa

The government has the power to do terrible things to people with impunity. The odds of the government doing so to any single individual has historically been fairly low, but not zero. A lot of people worry that Trump will use the government to do terrible things to people that are worse or more widespread than the usual. I don't think it's been quite that bad so far. No guarantee things will stay that way though. 

My advice is to always be vigilant and never let anyone from the government in your home without a warrant. And don't talk to any agent of the state (local, state, federal) without a lawyer present.

fascinating123

As a German I wish you all the best, but when a country starts to „revoke“ citizenship it never has ended well.

TurbulentBig891

Stephen Miller was looking into denaturalization by arguing that "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" section 1 of the 14th Amendment does not apply to people that came to the US illegally and thus their children are not eligible for citizenship.  
If he can get that through the SC, he can effectively denationalize millions of citizens whose parents came here illegally.

It would technically not even be denationalization, but more like they never had it in the first place. Correcting an "error" is a lot less paperwork than denaturalizing...

DutchDev1L

The only cases where denaturalization should be used in my opinion is when that person poses a legitimate national security issue, like terrorism, espionage, and all other high crimes. 

Everything else they should go to jail. Like any other citizen would. It seems that this memo, has the potential to be stretched. Considering how this administration is basically ignoring court orders.

namastayhom33

as vague as it needs to be so they can do it to whoever they want, that's the point

steveosaurus

I am a naturalized citizen. I renounced my previous citizenship since no dual citizenship is allowed.

What happens to someone who only has the U.S. citizenship? Where are they gonna send that person to? El Salvador?

Accomplished-Try2603

Not vague at all. But WHY they do it and what they can get away with…that’s new. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_denaturalized_former_citizens_of_the_United_States

buttons123456

You kinda have to get your head out of the sand. There’s a good chance it might. The Supreme Court, senate, and house are all republican. They overturned Roe V Wade. You think this is out of the picture?

missymay405

Fuck this administration with a rusty pitchfork. They can suck my entire natural-born American dick from behind.

Boring-Coyote4349

My question would be is whether they will start to use illegal work to go back and deny a bunch of cases. Is it law or just practice that they forgive illegal work if married to US citizen ?

Zack_212

Just when you think it can't get any worse, they come up with something new. They just want to deport people for any reason or send them to Alligator Alcatraz. I can't imagine we have 3 1/2 more years of this nightmare.

psychicfrequency

Just keep in mind that denaturalization can only be based on facts and actions that happened before and during the naturalization process. Also, the government has a much higher burden of proof in a denaturalization case than in LPR revocation. The latter is merely an administrative process; the former requires a trial with a federal judge.

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If you read the actual memo, it states that:

"...The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a person’s United States citizenship ***if an individual either “illegally procured” naturalization or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation***.” 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a)..."

I understand this to mean that if you hid your criminal history on your N-400 and got naturalized, you are subject to revocation. The memo does NOT say anything about revoking the citizenship based on naturalized citizen's speech.

This sounds perfectly logical to me? Am I not understanding something?

GalaxySquadFTL

If you fiddled with the rules back in the day then you need to be worried today

Stunning-Adagio2187

is this passed? is this going to happen starting now? i'm so confused

Dry-Ideal-6860

 Not vague,clear and present. Republicans are going to turbo charge it.

CommercialKangaroo16

The Colombian woman profiled doesn’t even understand how her own country’s citizenship works and is worried her baby will be stateless if the baby isn’t born as an American citizen. Her baby will be Colombian no matter where it is born because the mother is Colombian.

atiaa11

I believe there has always been the ability to denaturalize those who commit fraud during the process. The guy in the article had a criminal history of child porn prior to his entry which he did not disclose and that is fraud.

WonderfulVariation93

I don’t think it will happen unless they want a true civil war to break out

Ofa_D3s1gn

spudzinabag

trebordet

Nothing has changed about denaturalization. The law has always allowed for a person to be denaturalized if they made material misstatements or omissions during their naturalization process. If you lie on your application or interviews about something material and get caught, your status can get stripped. The administration’s memo directs the DOJ to prioritize these cases of fraud/ misstatement in the naturalization process, nothing more. Again, these laws have always existed - the current administration just has more appetite to enforce them than previous administrations.

Rob1iam

Im a naturalized citizen who smoked weed &amp; drank my dranks before turning 21, definitely before naturalization... lol fuck em , I got ZERO regrets 😅

mikels_burner

The only thing someone should be denaturalized is actual, convicted terrorism or treason. 

*End list*

Herdistheword

What concerns me is how vague this is. 

My husband is a naturalized citizen. No crimes, no lapse in documentation. Model citizen. He never protests, but I have peacefully protested in the past (I was born in America). I worry about him being wrongfully accused, given how many people it’s already happened to. We have a baby on the way and at this point are considering relocating to his native country.

baby-totoros

Were you convicted of distributing child pornography before naturalizing, as was the example given in that link?

If so, then you should be afraid as that is utterly disgusting.

Nomad_Lifer

Lol, no wonder Trump won—all of you are literally defending a pedo, it's Reddit so of course. Why can't the left use someone who isn't a violent criminal, or pedo? Plenty of people who have been unlawfully detained thru ICE but literally using a convicted pedo will not win over any points.

Sufficient-Assistant

If you didn't commit fraud to get citizenship at any time in the process, you can't be denaturalized.

Did you commit a heinous crime and fail to disclose it under oath when asked in order to get your visa/citizenship? No? Then you're fine.

MissAnth

Citizens, naturalized or otherwise are not subject to immigration law.

There is only one exception:
Naturalized citizenship can be revoked IF:
The person used fraud to obtain Citizenship AND
That fraud was the DECIDING factor for why the immigrant obtained citizenship.

So essentially fraud could have taken place but if the immigrant would have obtained citizenship even without the fraud then their citizenship can’t be revoked.

Hope this puts you more at ease.

xSonicspeedx2

There are millions of naturalized citizens🙂. Take a deep breath or few, let go of social media for a while, regroup, and enjoy your life. Do not let paranoia and anxiety take away your peace.

Icy_Economist6555

Posts and comments from who? Randoms on Reddit?

nlav26

No. Unless he lied about his ties to something like the IRGC.

hpff_robot

Paranoia.  You’re worrying about something that won’t happen or is 12,968th on your worry list.  Life is hard.  Focus on your immediate issues and the best way to solve them.  I can’t tell you how many people I’ve known who worried themselves sick over things that never happened.  It robbed them of being able to enjoy life in the present moment and be joyful.  Your choice, but worrying about that to the point of paranoia sounds like the perfect recipe to live a miserable, wretched life.

TigerTom31

It's very unlikely that his citizenship would be revoked. 

Unless there was fraud during the naturalization process, he's safe.

Monty-675

Also naturalized and recently asked my former immigration attorney this very question given the media amplification and hysteria that’s going on right now. His response, if it helps calm you down a bit - keep digital records like a passport copy on your phone. Don’t frequent areas known for enforcement for example factories or farms or businesses known for hiring undocumented workers as you will likely get swept up and detained temporarily until they validate your identity . He said you’re not likely gonna get targeted for looking brown out on the street. The ones who get grabbed like that are those that they’ve already built up a file on and are going after in a targeted matter.

Inevitable-Dig8702

You cannot be de naturalized unless a court declares that you defrauded the government by lying under oath or submitting false documents , also under oath. Basically, if you lied about your application under oath, your oath of citizenship isn’t valid and you technically were never a US citizen. 

So there are no ways to de naturalize someone. Think of it like an annulment and not a divorce.

Faangdevmanager

Not gonna happen unless he lied on immigration document, massive tax evasion, or espionage.

Agreeable-Break2747

Unless he’s commiting treason or something, no.

thekittennapper

No one can tell you for sure, but I would be shocked.  Mass denaturalization would be pretty extreme.  

That said, do you have his certificate of citizenship or at least a copy of his parents naturalization docs? A situation where he has to prove his citizenship is scary too. Kids can't naturalized in the US, so he likely *derived* citizenship automatically from his parents' naturalization and some people don't get certificates.

fauxlutz

he could not pay his taxes, not vote, have a criminal record and not be a regular guy and still have zero chance of being denaturalized

MickyFany

I don't think the courts or congress will ever do something like that. They are going after the easy targets like protected status immigrants. However you should get the passport card if not the book with you. I am getting the little passport card. You are at the mercy of an ICE agent when it comes to what you are worried about, not a police officer or court.

My husband is also a naturalized citizen, a foreign born adoptee, who was naturalized as a small child. I’d be lying if I said the thought hasn’t crossed my mind and given me anxiety. 

Not saying it could never happen, but you can’t dwell on a hypothetical. Make sure he has his citizenship paperwork, and copies of it. If his parents have it, get it from them. My husband didn’t have possession of his paperwork till his late 20’s. Scan it and save it to a flash drive, just in case. I would suggest you do the same for yourself. 

It might be good for you to look for a therapist, if this is causing you to spiral. We live in a sanctuary city, and while my husband is not from a country that is being targeted, it does cause me anxiety when I think about it. So I choose to live in the moment, and not with my intrusive thought. 

toot_toot_tootsie

I am a naturalized citizen through marriage (getting close to 30 years of marriage in 4 days, so it wasn't to get my green card LOL!!!). I hear your concerns and I have some worries too. 2 things to consider: I got a passport card that I always carry with me. At least in a state without an enhanced driver's license this gives a backup to show citizenship. Your husband should have his Naturalization Certificate (obtained through form 550?). I am not a lawyer but from my personal peace of mind I do have these two documents (and the passport card with me).

TKDPandaBear

You could get denaturalized if you misled or committed fraud. Technically speaking government can increase denaturalizations if they want to but they have to have proof. Say you get arrested for bank robbery, they take you in run prints and find that you robbed 3 banks in mid 2000s prior to obtaining your citizenship and when you were applying for one on your N-400 you attested that you have not committed any crimes that constitutes fraud since you technically did and on the N-400 it states even crimes you never were arrested for. Yup so now they could denaturalize you. It’s rare but can happen

Correct_Pipe_377

Green card holders face increased risk of citizenship loss due to under-reporting income on tax returns, as the DOJ prioritizes denaturalization cases.

US Citizenship and Denaturalization Risks

Why This Matters

Public Sentiment Summary

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What the people want