For citizens facing denaturalization

If the government has threatened to take away your U.S. citizenship, or has filed a civil denaturalization case against you in federal court, you can ask the Clearinghouse to try to find you a volunteer lawyer.

Who is eligible to ask for help

You can use the intake form if you are a naturalized U.S. citizen and either:

• you have received a threat of denaturalization (for example, a notice or letter from a government agency indicating it may seek to revoke your citizenship), and no lawsuit has been filed yet; or
• you have been sued or served with a civil denaturalization complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in federal court.

What to expect

• You fill out the intake form with your contact information and basic details about your situation.
• The Clearinghouse reviews submissions and tries to identify a volunteer lawyer who may be willing to consider your case for free (pro bono).
• If a possible match is found, the Clearinghouse may share basic information about your case (such as your name, contact information, the court, and the case number) with that lawyer so they can check for conflicts of interest and decide whether to contact you.
• A lawyer is not guaranteed. Even if a lawyer is found, that lawyer decides whether to take your case, and any representation would be arranged directly between you and the lawyer.
• The Clearinghouse does not give you legal advice and does not represent you.

Costs and expenses

When a volunteer lawyer takes your case pro bono, it means they will not charge you for their legal services (their time and work). It does not necessarily cover the out-of-pocket expenses of the lawsuit itself, such as court filing fees, fees for serving documents, the cost of deposition transcripts, expert witness fees, travel, or similar out-of-pocket costs. Your lawyer may ask you to pay these litigation expenses, even though they are not charging for their time. The Clearinghouse is seeking funding from foundations and donors to help defray these expenses, but it cannot guarantee that funds will be available. The specific terms would be set in the agreement between you and your lawyer.

If you have an urgent deadline

If you have already been served with a lawsuit, you may have a limited number of days to respond in court. Do not wait. Seek legal help immediately through any avenue available to you, and do not rely only on this Clearinghouse to meet a court deadline.