Donald Trump has made it his priority to crack down on illegal immigration. But on Thursday, in an interview with The New York Times, the president issued a disturbing warning to U.S. citizens.
Becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization has been an option for hundreds of years. According to USA.gov, it is described as “the process of voluntarily becoming a United States citizen. Learn about the steps that lead to U.S. citizenship, including the naturalization test.”
To qualify for U.S. citizenship, an individual must meet certain requirements: be at least 18 years old when applying, be able to read, write, and speak basic English (depending on age), and be of “good moral character.”
However, individuals who obtained U.S. citizenship through naturalization could now be at risk of losing their homes. In early December, the President of the United States said he was “absolutely” in favor of denaturalizing certain American citizens.
“We have criminals that came into our country and they were naturalized maybe through [President Joe] Biden or somebody that didn’t know what they were doing,” Trump said. “If I have the power to do it — I’m not sure that I do, but if I do — I would denaturalize, absolutely.”
Trump issues disturbing warning to U.S. nationals
Recently, Trump has spent much of his time criticizing the Somali American population. Now, he has threatened to strip Americans of their citizenship.
In his interview with The New York Times, Donald Trump said his administration is “examining the criteria for taking away citizenship.” He added that they are specifically reviewing “many of the people that came in from Somalia.” The president claims they “hate our country.”
Furthermore, Trump said of stripping Americans of their citizenship, “If they deserve to be stripped, I would, yes.”
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) notes that an average of 11 denaturalization cases were opened per year from 1990 to 2017. However, the process is extremely lengthy and can only be carried out by judicial order through civil proceedings or criminal conviction for naturalization fraud.
American Civil Liberties Union issues scathing response to Trump
Not everyone is accepting Donald Trump’s threats against his own countrymen. In a forceful statement, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said, “These efforts to strip citizenship from Americans are systemic and chilling.
“They have made U.S. citizens fearful that mistakes made years ago on their past applications could be used to target them, take away their citizenship, and destroy their lives. The Trump administration’s denaturalization efforts have made lawful permanent residents scared to pursue citizenship and fully engage civically,” the statement continued.
“What was once a celebratory moment recognizing an immigrant’s integration into American life now comes with an undercurrent of fear and suspicion.”
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