Senator Proposes End to Dual Citizenship for U.S. Citizens

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Senator Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, plans to introduce legislation on Monday aimed at eliminating dual citizenship in the United States. The proposal seeks to require American citizens with foreign citizenship to pledge exclusive allegiance to the U.S.

Moreno’s legislation, titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, reflects ongoing discussions about immigration laws under the Trump administration. The bill would mandate that any U.S. citizen who seeks foreign citizenship must renounce their American citizenship.

“One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18,” said Moreno, who was born in Colombia and renounced his Colombian citizenship. “Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege — and if you want to be an American — it’s all or nothing.”

Current laws allow Americans to maintain dual citizenship without choosing one allegiance over the other. Moreno argues that dual citizenship leads to conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.

The legislation would establish new tracking systems within the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enforce these changes. Americans with dual citizenship will have one year to renounce their foreign citizenship or they will be automatically considered to have relinquished their U.S. citizenship.

Failure to comply within the year would result in individuals being classified as aliens, according to the proposed bill. Previous attempts to alter dual citizenship laws have met resistance, with lawmakers advocating for full disclosure of foreign citizenship on candidacy statements.

While the Trump administration has focused on various aspects of citizenship, it has not explicitly taken a stance on dual citizenship. It remains uncertain how Moreno’s proposal will fare if challenged in court, as the Supreme Court has historically upheld the notion of dual citizenship since the 1950s.