Donald Trump floated the idea of deporting American citizens convicted of crimes during a visit to a controversial migrant detention center in southern Florida on Monday (June 30).
The proposal is unconstitutional, illegal and deeply troubling, according to scholars.
Speaking at a facility some have nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” due to its remote, swampy location, Trump expanded on a hardline immigration stance by suggesting that even natural-born U.S. citizens should face removal from the country if they commit certain offenses.
“They’re not new to our country,” he said. “They’re old to our country. Many of them were born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell outta here, too, if you want to know the truth.”
The remarks come days after a memo from Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate instructed federal prosecutors to pursue denaturalization cases more aggressively. This would apparently be centered on instances involving war crimes, terrorism, or human trafficking.
Legal experts, however, swiftly pushed back, pointing out that the Constitution grants citizenship by birth and provides no legal avenue for revoking it based on criminal behavior.
“An unrelated crime could not be the basis for denaturalizing and deporting somebody,” said Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia. “That’s simply not how our laws work.”
Dr. Nola Haynes, a professor and scholar at Georgetown University, said that Trump is purposefully testing American democracy and the laws of the land. He’s manifesting his kingly dreams.
“This isn’t about crime or immigration or national security especially when he’s targeting non-white communities only. This is about Trump enjoying playing dictator and yet another example of him overstepping his power because he thinks the presidency is a monarchy,” Haynes told AllHipHop. “He’s pushing the limits of the Constitution and democracy because he doesn’t think he’s ever leaving office. And when he does, [he believes] his children will inherit the office. This is about pushing democracy and the rule of law further and further off a cliff.”
Trump’s latest comments mark a renewed escalation in his tough-on-crime and immigration rhetoric.
A Justice Department memo calling for aggressive denaturalization efforts has alarmed legal experts and immigration advocates.
The June 11 directive instructs the DOJ’s civil division to “prioritize and maximally pursue” denaturalization in all legally supportable cases. This includes those with alleged links to terrorism, war crimes, espionage, or fraud in the naturalization process. Once denaturalized, individuals revert to their prior immigration status and may become eligible for deportation.
But there is more.
Experts say the memo broadens the scope of who may be considered lacking “good moral character.” This vague legal standard is especially disturbing. Government officials would be granted wide discretion to initiate cases.
“This is a significant escalation,” Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute said to The Guardian. “They’re clearly looking for every legal angle to denaturalize individuals they believe never deserved citizenship.”
While Trump is pushing boundaries, nothing about his assertions are legal by any domestic metric. Legal experts, scholars and politicians all emphasize that these moves would directly violate constitutional protections.
“The homegrowns are next” wasn’t a joke. It was a promise.
Congress has abandoned you.
The only thing standing between you and a lifetime in a foreign prison camp are the Courts.
This is not America. https://t.co/oogwjjfPNl
— Joshua Reed Eakle 🗽 (@JoshEakle) July 1, 2025
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