No suit to revoke naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451 shall be instituted by a United States Attorney without prior consultation with the Office of Immigration Litigation Litigation – Enforcement Section in the Civil Division. See Justice Manual 4-7.200. Attorney General's Order No. 851-79 (9/4/79) conferred upon the Criminal Division's Office of Special Investigations (OSI, now known as the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, HRSP) the authority to prepare, initiate and conduct denaturalization proceedings in all federal districts against individuals who, prior to and during World War II, participated in persecution in association with the Nazi government or its allies. As a result of the 2010 merger of OSI and the Criminal Division’s Domestic Security Section to form HRSP, HRSP possesses all denaturalization authority previously conferred on OSI. HRSP may institute denaturalization cases against Nazi persecutors or against other participants in violations of human rights or humanitarian law without consulting the Office of Immigration Litigation.

[updated December 2020]