Lawyers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are being temporarily transferred to U.S. attorney offices to work on denaturalization cases. Former agency officials report that staff were directed to move offices, with some describing the transfers as voluntary or forced. Prior trial or denaturalization experience is not required, but an active law license is. USCIS leadership states the transfers support a critical effort by providing skilled immigration law attorneys to the Department of Justice. Denaturalization cases have faced difficulty because the evidentiary standard is high, requiring clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence that leaves no doubt. Criminal charges can apply when citizenship was obtained illegally. Justice Department officials have shortlisted 385 people for denaturalization charges, and the administration has filed multiple cases in the second term.
"Lawyers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the office for legal immigration services, are being temporarily transferred to U.S. attorney's offices to work on denaturalization cases, four former agency officials tell Axios. One source said staffers were being "volun-told" to move offices. A second source describe the transfers as lawyers "being force volunteered." It's not necessary that they have prior trial or denaturalization experience, just that they have an active law license, athirdsource said."
""We are proud to support this critical effort by providing the Department of Justice with a team of our most skilled immigration law attorneys," said USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler. Between the lines: The Trump administration tried to accelerate the number of denaturalization cases in his first term, creating a dedicated team of 10-15 lawyers. The cases identified by that team are "still kicking around," USCIS chief Joe Edlow said last September."
""There's a reason why 'denats' have never really taken off," one source said. "It's really hard to prove ... the standard is really high, and you need good evidence. A lot of cases, it's just it's not there." The legal burden requires proving "clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence which does not leave the issue in doubt" in civil cases where someone willfully lied on their application. In cases where someone illegally got citizenship that they weren't eligible for, there can be criminal charges filed."
"The big picture: Justice Department officials have shortlisted 385 people for denaturalization charges, according to a New York Times report from April. In Trump's first term, USCIS claimed to have identified 2,500 potential cases but referred just a fraction to DOJ. The Trump administration filed 35 denaturalization cases since the start of the second term, including 12 as recently as this month, according to a DOJ spokesperso"
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