Denaturalization Attorney

Experienced U.S. Denaturalization Lawyers Representing Naturalized American Citizens

Attorney Nick Oberheiden
Denaturalization Team Lead
Founding Attorney

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced plans to prioritize cases involving the revocation of United States citizenship (a process known as denaturalization) in 2025 and beyond. This is part of the current administration’s broader effort to crack down on illegal immigration, and it comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to conduct raids and other enforcement activities across the country.

If you are facing denaturalization proceedings, you could also be facing criminal prosecution, deportation (or removal), and other serious consequences—so it is critical that you have an experienced denaturalization attorney on your side. Our attorneys are available to represent individuals who are facing revocation of U.S. citizenship in jurisdictions across the United States.

Regardless of the circumstances of your case, we can help you understand your situation and make informed decisions, and we can deal with ICE and the DOJ on your behalf. We can also represent you in court, and we can help you seek protection on an emergency basis if necessary.

What You Need to Know if You Are Facing Denaturalization Proceedings Involving the Justice Department

Naturalized citizens who are facing denaturalization may have a variety of options for seeking to protect their U.S. citizenship and remain in the United States. With that said, facing denaturalization can be dangerous—especially given the DOJ’s current focus in this area—and the options that are available in any particular case will depend heavily on the specific circumstances involved.

With this in mind, here is some important information for foreign-born U.S. citizens who are at risk of losing their naturalized citizenship from the attorneys at Oberheiden P.C.:

Grounds for Denaturalization (Revocation of U.S. Citizenship), Including Certain Crimes

Under federal law, there are two primary grounds for civil denaturalization: (i) illegal procurement of naturalization (a form of immigration fraud); and, (ii) concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation (i.e., making a false statement). You will note that these do not cover post-naturalization conduct. However, in a June 11, 2025 memorandum (the “DOJ Memo”) announcing its plans to prioritize civil denaturalization cases, the Justice Department identified 10 “categories of priorities” that it intends to pursue. These “categories of priorities” are:

Individuals who pose a potential danger to national security, “including those with a nexus to terrorism, espionage, or the unlawful export from the United States of sensitive goods, technology, or information raising national security concerns;”
Individuals who have engaged in torture, war crimes, or other human rights violations;
Individuals who have “furthered the unlawful enterprise” of gangs, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations;
Individuals who failed to disclose felonies during the naturalization process in violation of federal law;
Individuals who have committed human trafficking offenses, sex crimes, violent crimes, or other serious crimes under federal law;
Individuals who have engaged in “various forms of financial fraud against the United States;”
Individuals who have engaged in fraud against private individuals and businesses;
Individuals who became U.S. citizens through “government corruption, fraud, or material misrepresentations;”
Individuals who are facing pending federal criminal charges in cases referred to the DOJ; and,
Individuals targeted in other cases referred to the Justice Department’s Civil Division that the Civil Division “determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.”

As you can see, many of these categories are both extremely broad and extremely vague. Ultimately, civil denaturalization is governed by federal law—not Justice Department policy—and it is governed specifically by 8 U.S.C. Section 1451. If your U.S. citizenship is at risk due to alleged immigration fraud (including making a false statement prior to naturalization) or any other issue, our attorneys can determine if the DOJ has valid grounds to pursue revocation of your U.S. citizenship, and then we can advise and represent you accordingly.

What To Do if You Are Facing Denaturalization

In light of the DOJ’s ongoing efforts to prioritize denaturalization cases and strip citizenship through civil litigation, if your U.S. citizenship is at risk after going through the naturalization process–whether due to allegations that you illegally procured citizenship or any other allegations–there are some important steps you should take promptly. Most importantly, you should consult with an attorney who has experience handling denaturalization cases as soon as possible.

This is not a situation that you want to try to handle on your own. Our attorneys are available to speak with you right away, and we can get to work fighting your denaturalization case immediately if necessary.

Fighting Denaturalization as a Foreign-Born U.S. Citizen: The Denaturalization Process and Due Process

The Justice Department’s decision to pursue denaturalization in civil proceedings targeting naturalized American citizens rather than through criminal convictions is significant: Many of the protections that apply in criminal proceedings do not apply in civil cases, and this allows the Justice Department to maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings as efficiently as possible. With that said, there are still due process protections that apply, and federal authorities must go through a judicial process in order to seek revocation of citizenship in these cases.

If you are facing denaturalization, our attorneys can walk you through the process—and we can represent you every step of the way. We have extensive experience working directly with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of our clients and representing our clients in court, and we are prepared to use our experience to help protect you by all means available.

Facing Denaturalization: Should You Self-Deport?

Along with pursuing denaturalization and deportation of naturalized citizens, federal authorities are also encouraging foreign-born U.S. citizens to “self-deport” if they have violated the law. However, attempting to “self-deport” can be risky, and it could potentially have negative ramifications for your U.S. citizenship.

With this in mind, we strongly encourage you to contact us before you make any decisions. We are more than happy to provide you with the information you need so that you can feel confident in your decision-making.

Dr. Nick Oberheiden

Founder

Attorney-at-Law

Lynette S. Byrd

Former DOJ Trial Attorney

Partner

Brian J. Kuester

Former U.S. Attorney

Hon. Kevin McCarthy

55th Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives (ret.)

Government Consultant

Mike Pompeo

Of Counsel

Former U.S. Secretary of State

John W. Sellers

Former Senior DOJ Trial Attorney

Linda Julin McNamara

Federal Appeals Attorney

Nicholas B. Johnson

Former Prosecutor

Roger Bach

Former Special Agent (DOJ)

Chris J. Quick

Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)

Michael S. Koslow

Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)

Ray Yuen

Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)

How Our U.S. Denaturalization Lawyers Can Help

We know that the prospect of losing your U.S. citizenship can be both stressful and frightening, and we also know that it can be difficult to find the information you need. If the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to revoke your U.S. citizenship, here are just some of the ways our attorneys can help:

Reviewing Your Immigration and Citizenship Documents – An attorney at our firm can thoroughly review your immigration and citizenship documents to determine if there are any issues that may put you at risk of facing denaturalization.
Assessing All Potential Grounds for Denaturalization – After reviewing your documents, your attorney will critically assess all potential grounds for denaturalization in order to determine both your risk of facing denaturalization and the defenses you have available.
Representing You in Your Denaturalization Case – Your attorney will provide experienced legal representation throughout your U.S. denaturalization case. This includes both representing you in informal communications with the U.S. Department of Justice and representing you in civil litigation in federal district court (unlike most other immigration matters, denaturalization cases are not handled in immigration court).
Appealing the Outcome of Your Denaturalization Case if Necessary – If necessary, your attorney can appeal the outcome of your case after the denaturalization process. We handle denaturalization appeals for both new and existing clients. Strict timelines apply to civil appeals, so it is important that you speak with an experienced immigration attorney about your case promptly.
Representing You in Any Related Criminal, Deportation, or Other Legal Matters – If you are facing an ICE investigation, federal criminal charges, deportation (removal), or any other legal matters related to your denaturalization case, our law firm can represent you in these matters as well.

FAQs: Answers to Common Questions About Denaturalization Cases

What is Denaturalization?

Denaturalization is the process of revoking the naturalized citizenship of an individual who was not a U.S. citizen at birth. These individuals are referred to as “naturalized” citizens, so revocation of their citizenship is referred to as denaturalization.

Why Am I Facing Denaturalization?

This is an extremely important question; and, if you are facing denaturalization, you will need to try to find out the answer as soon as possible. Under the June 11, 2025 DOJ Memo, the federal government is currently targeting naturalized citizens for revocation of their citizenship for a wide range of reasons (including national security threats and violent crimes, among many others) as part of its wide-reaching denaturalization efforts, and you will need to determine why your U.S. citizenship is at risk in order to defend yourself effectively. Our denaturalization lawyers can help.

What is the Burden of Proof for Denaturalization?

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently prioritizing efforts to denaturalize foreign-born U.S. citizens through civil proceedings–and it is taking an aggressive approach to doing so. In civil denaturalization cases, the burden of proof is, “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence which does not leave the issue in doubt.” This is lower than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard that applies in criminal cases.

Do I Need an Attorney to Fight Denaturalization?

While you are not required to hire an attorney—and while you are not entitled to a court-appointed attorney in civil denaturalization cases—hiring an attorney in this scenario is extremely important.

From loss of your U.S. citizenship to deportation, denaturalization can have truly life-altering consequences. An experienced attorney will be able to help protect you by all means available—whether this means seeking to work out a resolution with the DOJ, representing you in your denaturalization case, or filing an appeal to challenge the court’s order of denaturalization.

What Will Happen if My U.S. Citizenship is Revoked?

If your United States citizenship is revoked as a result of the Justice Department’s denaturalization efforts, you will no longer be entitled to the benefits afforded to U.S. citizens, and your immigration status will generally return to that which you held before you became a citizen. However, with the federal government’s current focus on immigration enforcement, facing deportation (or removal) is a very real risk as well. Regardless of the specific risks you are facing, our attorneys can help protect you by all means available.

Schedule a Free and Confidential Consultation with an Attorney at Oberhreiden P.C. Today

If you need to speak with an experienced immigration attorney about a denaturalization action, we strongly encourage you to get in touch. Our attorneys are available to provide legal advice that is custom-tailored to your individual circumstances, and we can provide legal representation for denaturalization proceedings and other immigration litigation on an emergency basis if necessary.

Call 888-680-1745 or contact us online to schedule a free and confidential consultation at our law firm today.