In a series of incendiary remarks, President Donald Trump has recently suggested that the citizenship of several prominent public figures — billionaire Elon Musk, New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, and comedian Rosie O’Donnell — could be at risk, igniting alarm among legal experts and civil rights advocates.
While Trump has long used fiery rhetoric against political critics, his latest threats come alongside a documented effort by his administration to expand denaturalization — the rarely used legal process of stripping individuals of their American citizenship. Critics say the fusion of political grievances and immigration enforcement represents a dangerous new frontier in American governance.
Trump’s Targets: What He Said
During a press interaction earlier this month, Trump floated the idea of deporting Elon Musk, a naturalized citizen originally from South Africa, saying, “I don’t know, I mean, we’ll have to take a look.”
When asked about Zohran Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and mayoral candidate born in Uganda and naturalized in 2018, Trump responded, “We’ll have to arrest him… We don’t need a communist in this country.” He added, “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally. We’re going to look at everything.”
Rosie O’Donnell, a US-born citizen from Long Island, came under fire after criticizing Trump’s disaster response in Texas. On Truth Social, the president called her a “Threat to Humanity” and said he was “seriously considering” revoking her citizenship.
How the Targets Responded
Musk responded cryptically, saying on X, “So tempting to escalate this… But I will refrain for now.”
Mamdani, speaking at a press briefing, said Trump’s comments were “less about who I am, and more about what I fight for,” noting his status as a potential first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City.
O’Donnell, ever combative, posted on Instagram: “Go ahead and try, king Joffrey with a tangerine spray tan. I’m not yours to silence.”
The Legal Limits of Denaturalization
Despite Trump’s threats, legal experts stress that stripping someone’s citizenship is a complex and tightly regulated process. For naturalized citizens, denaturalization is only possible if the government can prove either illegal procurement of citizenship or willful misrepresentation — and even then, it must be decided by a federal court with a high burden of proof.
“Trump cannot denaturalize either Musk or Mamdani,” says Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute. “Only a court can. And there’s a process. And a high bar for that.”
As for O’Donnell, experts are clear: a president cannot revoke the citizenship of someone born in the United States. The only legal ways to lose birthright citizenship are through voluntary renunciation or death.
A Shift in Strategy?
Trump’s comments coincide with his administration’s revival of a previously shuttered Justice Department office focused on denaturalization. A recent DOJ memo instructs attorneys to prioritize cases involving fraud, violent crime, or national security threats — language that some fear could be applied broadly or politically.
Chad Gilmartin, a department spokesman, recently said five new denaturalization cases have been filed this month, with “MORE TO COME.”
Legal scholars worry that the effort could become a tool to intimidate or punish dissent. “It’s not just about winning a case,” warns Chishti. “It’s about sending a message — that speaking out could come at a cost.”
The Chilling Effect
Experts say these developments risk politicizing citizenship itself — historically treated as sacred and protected from partisan attack.
“When presidents make threats like this, it scares people,” says immigration attorney Matthew Hoppock. “Even if the law doesn’t support it, the fear is real.”
And for many naturalized citizens, Chishti says, that fear is now inescapable: “This is a totally new chapter — one where political enemies can be targeted not just rhetorically, but through the legal apparatus of the state.”
