Can a natural-born U.S. citizen be deported for felony convictions?

1. Why birthright citizenship blocks deportation

The Constitution and federal practice treat birthright citizens as having an indelible right to remain in the United States; government revocation of citizenship has not been applied to people born in the U.S., and legal guidance affirms that U.S.-born citizens “cannot be deported” ^{[1] [2]}. Reporting and practice advisories emphasize that denaturalization — the only route the government uses to remove citizenship — applies to naturalized, not birthright, citizens ^{[5] [6]}.

2. How felonies trigger removal for non‑citizens, not for the native born

Federal immigration law identifies specific criminal categories that make noncitizens removable — including aggravated felonies and crimes involving moral turpitude — and those grounds are routinely applied to lawful permanent residents and other noncitizens ^{[7] [8] [9]}. Those statutory deportability rules do not apply to U.S. citizens by birth; similar criminal convictions for a native-born American will lead to criminal penalties (jail, fines) but not removal from the country ^[1].

3. The limited path from felony to deportation for naturalized citizens

Naturalized citizens who committed fraud, concealed material facts, or otherwise were ineligible at the time of naturalization can face civil denaturalization or criminal revocation proceedings; if denaturalized and left without a lawful immigration status, the individual may then be placed in removal proceedings ^{[3] [4] [10]}. Many legal sources stress that denaturalization is difficult, subject to a high burden of proof, and typically reserved for cases involving willful misrepresentation, serious criminality tied to the acquisition of citizenship, or rare national-security crimes ^{[3] [2] [6]}.

4. Recent policy shifts and political arguments that complicate the picture

Recent Justice Department guidance has signaled prioritization of denaturalization in cases involving serious criminality, gang membership, or fraud, prompting advocates to warn of broader targeting and critics to argue the tool will be narrowly applied to those who obtained citizenship by deception ^{[11] [3]}. Opinion pieces and some advocates raise alarms that civil denaturalization could expand beyond classic fraud cases into lower-bar enforcement or politically fraught areas, but those claims are contested and depend on prosecutorial priorities and litigation outcomes ^{[12] [2]}.

5. Practical reality in courts and criminal defense implications

Practitioners and defense advisories note that denaturalization and subsequent deportation remain rare and legally challenging; defense counsel must consider immigration consequences, and courts require the government to meet high evidentiary standards to revoke citizenship ^{[6] [5]}. For noncitizen defendants, criminal convictions — especially aggravated felonies — carry near‑automatic deportation risks under Section 237 of the INA, underscoring the stark difference in immigration consequence between noncitizens and native‑born citizens ^{[7] [9] [8]}.

6. Bottom line

A natural-born U.S. citizen cannot be deported for felony convictions; deportation only becomes an issue for foreign-born people if citizenship is later revoked through denaturalization — a rare, legally demanding process usually tied to fraud in the naturalization process or extreme misconduct linked to the acquisition of citizenship — after which removal can proceed if no lawful status remains ^{[1] [3] [4]}. Sources consulted underscore both the constitutional protection for birthright citizens and the exceptional, contested nature of denaturalization-based deportations for naturalized citizens ^{[2] [10] [6]}.