Can Trump revoke Musk and Mamdani of their US citizenship?

Indian Express

2 days ago

US President Donald Trump and members of his administration have hinted at the possibility of revoking the citizenship of Zohran Mamdani, a New York City mayoral candidate, and Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur and former aide of the president.
While Mamdani has been accused by conservative lawmakers of harbouring extremist sympathies, Musk has drawn Trump's ire over his criticism of the newly passed 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which curbs electric vehicle tax credits that largely benefit Musk's businesses, among other changes such as tax cuts.
But can the US government actually strip Musk and Mamdani of their citizenship?
Zohran Mamdani, 33, was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian-origin parents. He moved to New York at the age of seven.
At a news conference this week, Trump said if Mamdani 'prevents ICE from doing its job, then we'll have to arrest him.' He further added, 'We don't need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I'm going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation.'
Mamdani, who became a naturalised citizen in 2018, responded by saying, 'The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported—not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorise our city.'
My statement on Donald Trump's threat to deport me and his praise for Eric Adams, who the President 'helped out' of legal accountability. https://t.co/m7pNcT2DFS pic.twitter.com/UcYakMx4lI
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) July 1, 2025
On June 26, Republican Representative Andy Ogles wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting a Department of Justice probe into Mamdani's naturalisation, citing allegations of support for individuals linked to terrorism.
In a public post, Ogles referred to Mamdani as a 'communist who will destroy the great City of New York' and claimed he had shown 'material support for terrorism.' He cited a rap lyric by Mamdani referencing the 'Holy Land Five,' a group convicted in 2008 for providing support to Hamas. Mamdani had rapped: 'Free the Holy Land Five / My guys.'
Zohran 'little muhammad' Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings.
Attached is my letter to @AGPamBondi. pic.twitter.com/RWCZm67VOr
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) June 26, 2025
However, even if Mamdani is denaturalised, he wouldn't automatically be deported. He would revert to his previous status as a lawful permanent resident—a green card holder.
Once a close ally and major donor to his re-election campaign, Musk has now found himself at odds with the Trump administration over fiscal policy. The newly passed spending bill slashes EV tax credits, threatening the profitability of Tesla vehicles in the US.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, wrote: 'Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.' He later told reporters: 'We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon,' referring to the Department of Government Efficiency once led by Musk.
Musk, born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, also holds Canadian citizenship through his mother. He moved to Canada at 17, and later to the US in 1992 to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Musk became a US citizen in 2002.
Although Musk was reported to have started working in the US without proper authorisation, he has denied any violations. 'I was in fact allowed to work in the US,' Musk posted on X. 'I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H-1B.'
Yes—but only on specific legal grounds.
Naturalised citizens can be denaturalised if they obtained citizenship through fraud, willful misrepresentation, or concealment of a material fact. Other rare cases include involvement in terrorism, war crimes, or joining a foreign military/government.
On June 11, the Justice Department issued a memo prioritising denaturalisation for individuals who illegally obtained citizenship. The department also cited cases of concealment of serious criminal activity during the naturalisation process.
For example, in June, the Justice Department denaturalised Elliott Duke, a UK-born former US soldier convicted of child sex abuse crimes. He was found to have concealed his offences during his 2013 citizenship application.
Legal experts say it's extremely unlikely. Michael Kagan, a professor of law at the University of Nevada, told Time: 'Denaturalisation is limited to cases where the government can prove material fraud in their original applications. It is rare and unlikely for either Musk or Mamdani. This appears to be irresponsible rhetoric designed to intimidate political opponents.'
As per a report by Time, currently, denaturalisation is legally permitted only in very limited cases:
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) explains that the federal government must prove fraud by 'clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence' in civil court—or 'beyond a reasonable doubt' in criminal cases, Time reported.
'Many of the cases for denaturalisation based on lack of good moral character involve individuals who committed crimes prior to naturalisation, but were not arrested or charged until afterward,' the ILRC noted.
Denaturalisation has historically been rare in the US and often linked to proven fraud or serious crimes like war crimes or terrorism. According to the Department of Justice, the process involves either 'illegally procured' naturalisation or naturalisation gained through 'concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.'
Famous denaturalisation cases include: Emma Goldman, an anarchist activist deported in 1919 for opposing World War I and military conscription. Another was of Paul Knauer, a naturalised German American denaturalised in 1946 for concealing his ties to a Nazi-linked organisation.
An Al Jazeera report also pointed out that denaturalisation cases surged during the 'Red Scare' and World War II era, but declined significantly after a landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling in Afroyim v. Rusk, which limited the government's ability to revoke citizenship without clear legal grounds.
And, as the Sovereign Citizen and Supreme Court precedent make clear, 'being a 'loyal American'' is no longer a legal requirement for citizenship.