Donald Trump Says He'd Denaturalize US Citizens 'In a Heartbeat' [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published Jan 08, 2026 at 02:07 PM EST updated Jan 08, 2026 at 02:57 PM EST
President Donald Trump said he'd be willing to denaturalize some United States citizens "in a heartbeat." The president's remarks came in a wide-ranging two-hour interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. He made the initial remark specifically referencing Somali-Americans.
“I would do it in a heartbeat if they were dishonest,” Trump told The Times. “I think that many of the people that came in from Somalia, they hate our country.”
However, he went on to say that such an effort would not be limited to Somalis, saying his administration is taking steps to pursue denaturalizations. “If they deserve to be stripped, I would, yes,” Trump said.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has taken a tough stance on immigration, as the president promised, with efforts to revoke immigrants' legal statuses—such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations aimed at those in the country without legal status. Revoking citizenship is a far tougher route, with cases being relatively rare.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-denaturalize-us-citizens-somali-immigration-11331811
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