The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed suit to denaturalize 40 people in one of the largest denaturalization efforts ever undertaken by the federal government, according to TIME and USA TODAY.
In a Monday press release, the DOJ announced the suits, which were filed from August to October. The individuals in question are accused of "serious offenses" ranging from fraud and tax evasion to child molestation. In addition to the 40 named in this week's lawsuit, the DOJ has pursued denaturalization of more than 50 other individuals this year alone.
In a statement, Attorney General Todd Blanche called the DOJ's initiative "the largest denaturalization effort in modern history." Of the 40 individuals targeted, nine are from Mexico, four are from Pakistan, and two are from China. The remaining individuals hail from India, Haiti, Colombia, Afghanistan, and a number of other countries.
The two Chinese nationals targeted by the DOJ are Jinchao Wei, a former Navy sailor convicted of espionage earlier this year, and Ping Li, convicted in 2024 for acting as an agent of the Chinese government.
President Donald Trump has increased the number of denaturalizations since taking office as part of mass deportation efforts. In June of this year, a DOJ official stated that the White House plans to pursue denaturalization against 250 individuals by October. Independent analysts have warned that the true number of denaturalizations may be higher than officially reported statistics.
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