Brett A. Shumate
Role at the time: Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Shumate defended the expanded campaign as a way to restore trust in citizenship. He said the 40 defendants announced by DOJ had lied during naturalization.
“restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Shumate backs the largest denaturalization effort in DOJ history - sourceOctober 5 release, quotation attributed to Brett Shumate
DOJ announced 40 civil denaturalization complaints filed between August 21 and October 2, 2026. DOJ's complaints allege fraud or unlawful procurement of citizenship. The allegations require adjudication.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The reference point is DOJ's expanded denaturalization campaign. Shumate endorses its scale and stated purpose.