Many new citizens worry their status could be taken away. The reassuring reality: for honest applicants, losing citizenship is very rare.
How citizenship can be lost
- Denaturalization — a court process used in rare cases, usually for fraud or concealment during the naturalization process (for example, hiding a serious crime or lying about eligibility).
- Voluntary renunciation — choosing to give up citizenship, a formal legal step.
What does NOT cause you to lose citizenship
- Living abroad
- Holding dual citizenship (the U.S. allows it)
- Ordinary mistakes or minor issues after you become a citizen
Why honesty during naturalization matters
Because denaturalization is almost always tied to fraud in the original application, the best protection is simple: answer everything truthfully and disclose fully on your N-400 and at your interview.
Birthright citizens
People who are citizens by birth generally cannot lose citizenship except by voluntarily renouncing it.
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Denaturalization: how it actually works
Denaturalization is the only way the government can take citizenship from a naturalized citizen, and it happens in federal court, not at a USCIS office. The government files a civil lawsuit (or, in criminal cases, brings charges) and must prove that the person obtained citizenship illegally or by willfully concealing or misrepresenting a material fact. The standard of proof is high, the person has the right to a lawyer and a hearing, and the decision can be appealed. Denaturalization does not happen because of a crime committed after naturalization, unless the crime reveals that the person lied during the naturalization process.
The main grounds
- Illegal procurement: the person was never actually eligible, for example because of a criminal conviction during the statutory period that USCIS did not know about, or because the green card itself was obtained through fraud.
- Concealment or misrepresentation: a false answer on the N-400 or at the interview about identity, criminal history, marriage, membership in certain organizations, or prior deportation orders, when the truth would have mattered to the decision.
- Membership in certain organizations within five years of naturalizing, such as a totalitarian party or terrorist organization, which raises a presumption of concealment.
- Dishonorable discharge for people who naturalized through military service, within five years of naturalization.
Why this is in the news
Denaturalization cases were rare for decades. Since 2017, and again with a Department of Justice directive in 2025 making denaturalization an enforcement priority for cases involving fraud, national security, and serious crimes, the number of cases has grown. The legal grounds have not changed; what has changed is how actively the government looks for cases. For the overwhelming majority of naturalized citizens who told the truth on their application, there is no risk.
Voluntary loss of citizenship
A U.S. citizen can lose citizenship voluntarily by formally renouncing it before a U.S. consular officer abroad, or by performing certain acts with the intent to give up citizenship, such as obtaining citizenship in another country with that intent or serving in a foreign military engaged in hostilities against the United States. Simply acquiring another nationality, voting in a foreign election, or living abroad does not cause loss of citizenship. The State Department presumes you intend to keep U.S. citizenship unless you clearly state otherwise.
Naturalized versus born citizens
Citizens born in the United States or who acquired citizenship at birth cannot be denaturalized, because there was no naturalization process to challenge. Both groups can renounce voluntarily. Naturalized citizens have the same rights as born citizens in every other respect, including the right to hold any office except President and Vice President.
How to protect yourself
The only reliable protection is a truthful application. Disclose every arrest, every trip, every marriage, and every name you have used, even when you think the information is harmless or embarrassing. If you are unsure whether something must be disclosed, the answer is almost always yes, and an attorney can help you explain it. Keep copies of your N-400 and interview documents permanently.
Last reviewed and expanded by the USCitizenTestPractice Editorial Team in September 2026, based on the USCIS Policy Manual, the official 2025 civics test materials, and current USCIS fee and form instructions. This is an independent study resource, not legal advice.
