What to know about the US proposed bill to eliminate dual citizenship
US Senator Bernie Moreno caused a commotion in the country after he proposed a bill that would bar individuals from holding a US citizenship simultaneously with another country.
Dubbed the "Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025," the bill was introduced after Congress found that "allegiance to the United States must be undivided" in order to "preserve the integrity of national citizenship."
"Existing law allows certain United States citizens to maintain foreign citizenship, which may create conflicts of interest and divided loyalties. It is in the national interest of the United States to ensure that United States citizenship is held exclusively," the bill read.
In a statement, Moreno briefly discussed why he believes the measure is necessary.
"One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so," he said.
"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," he added.
Who will be affected by the bill?
Should the act be passed into law, dual citizenship is off the table. Moreover, any US citizen who voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship will be deemed to have relinquished their US citizenship.
US citizens who possess foreign citizenship will be given one year to submit either a written renunciation of their foreign citizenship to the Secretary of State or, alternatively, a written renunciation of their US citizenship to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Those who fail to comply will be deemed to have voluntarily relinquished their US citizenship. They will then be subsequently treated as an alien under the country's immigration laws.
The law's effectivity day will be 180 days after enactment.
A report by Forbes detailed exactly who this bill would hit hardest. It affects naturalized citizens who kept their original passport, people who automatically acquire their spouse’s citizenship by marrying a foreign national, and anyone who later naturalizes abroad.
Children who acquire dual citizenship at birth would also fall under the scope of the proposal. This includes US-born children of foreign-citizen parents who automatically obtain a second nationality, as well as children born abroad to one American parent and one foreign parent who receive both citizenships at birth.
Is the bill constitutional?
Following the measure's introduction, concerns quickly emerged that the proposal could conflict with established Supreme Court rulings on citizenship rights.
Khalif Rhodes, chief legal analyst for Queen City News, said in an interview that the bill "seems to be a great idea except it's unconstitutional."
He then cited the 1958 Perez v. Brownell case where the Supreme Court upheld Congress’s authority to revoke a person’s US citizenship for voting in a foreign election. However, this ruling was later overturned, making it an important part of why Moreno’s bill faces constitutional hurdles today.
"It is a constitutionally-protected, fundamental right under the 14th Amendment. So I think there'd be absolutely zero chance that this stands constitutional muster. They can try to pass it—good luck—but there will be absolutely no chance that it's constitutional," Rhodes said.
"I understand what this congressman in Ohio was saying that when I came here from Colombia, I got rid of, and it was my proudest day to revoke and remove any connection to my other country, but there's no requirement, so it's good for you, but it's not good for everyone else," he added.
However, if it comes to a point where it's actually passed, Rhodes warned that it would "substantially diminish" the job market.
"Individuals that come here are citizens from another country. [They] come here to work because they're adding a benefit, a benefit that we may not have at the time. So they're teaching—they're not just coming to work, they're instructing and giving their skills to folks here so that we can learn," he said.
"If you're now saying that you're going to have to make a choice, they're going to choose to probably stay at home because you're paying them a lot of money to come here to help," he added.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. previously dispelled claims that a supposed dual citizenship crackdown is taking place in the US.
The embassy stressed that the US government has not made any changes to its policies regarding dual citizenship.
"The United States continues to recognize that individuals may hold citizenship in more than one country," it continued.
"There is no new policy requiring dual citizens to renounce another nationality, nor is there a 'crackdown' underway," it added.
It also urged the public to avoid making legal decisions like renouncing their Philippine citizenship, stressing that doing such is a serious and irreversible legal action.