Politics

Republican Bill Would End Dual Citizenship for Americans

By Jake Beardslee · December 2, 2025

Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio has introduced legislation that would abolish dual citizenship for Americans, a move that could affect millions of people and set up a potential constitutional clash. The proposal, titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, states that citizens of the United States “shall owe sole and exclusive allegiance to the United States,” according to the bill text.

If enacted, the bill would bar Americans from holding any foreign citizenship. Those who currently hold dual nationality would be required to choose within a year, submitting a written renunciation of their foreign citizenship to the secretary of state or formally giving up their U.S. citizenship to the secretary of homeland security. Anyone who fails to “timely comply” would “be deemed to have voluntarily relinquished United States citizenship.” The measure also says that any American who acquires foreign citizenship after the law takes effect “shall be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship.”

The bill argues that “to preserve the integrity of national citizenship, allegiance to the United States must be undivided,” and contends that holding foreign citizenship as a U.S. national “could create conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.” Under the proposed law, “an individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously possessing any foreign citizenship.”

The measure would also require the secretary of state to establish new systems for declarations, verification, and recordkeeping, working alongside the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security. Individuals deemed to have relinquished their citizenship would be “appropriately recorded in Federal systems and treated as an alien for purposes of the immigration laws.”

It is not clear how many Americans could be affected. The U.S. does not track dual citizenship, and no registration is required. Estimates vary widely, with experts suggesting the number could range from 500,000 to 5.7 million. A Forbes report noted that around 40 percent of Americans may be eligible for a second citizenship, although that eligibility does not necessarily mean they hold one.

Moreno, who immigrated from Colombia and has renounced his Colombian citizenship, won his Senate seat in 2024 with support from President Donald Trump. The proposed legislation could impact prominent individuals, including First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron, both of whom retain dual U.S.–Slovenian citizenship, according to Mary Jordan’s 2024 book The Art of Her Deal.

In defending the bill, Moreno said: “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so. It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

Even if the bill gains support in Congress, it may face legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that dual citizenship is “a status long recognized in the law” and that an American cannot lose their citizenship unless they willingly surrender it.