US Dual Citizens beware! (Part Three)

Recently, I heard from Bernie Moreno, a Senator from Ohio who introduced the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” to end dual citizenship in the United States. Moreno, a member of the Republican (MAGA) Party. was born in Colombia to a family that immigrated to the United States, and he grew up in Florida. 

This bad idea is not something a person like me with dual French and American citizenship would look forward to being signed into law. The Bill, named the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” would require US citizens like me who hold another nationality to renounce one of the two or more, if applicable, within 12 months or lose their US citizenship. 

Moreno, himself a naturalized citizen originally from Colombia, argues that US citizenship should mean “sole and exclusive allegiance” to America. Not so fast, because the 14th amendment of the Constitution protects US birthright citizenship and stipulates that it can’t be revoked involuntarily. Courts have consistently ruled that citizenship is a fundamental right, and loss can only occur through voluntary renunciation or fraud in naturalization. 

Many ethnic and immigrant advocacy groups (e.g., Portuguese American Leadership Council) are mobilizing against that idea, warning it would affect millions of Americans. Fortunately, so far, the bill has not advanced beyond introduction. No hearings or votes have even been scheduled. Even if passed, enforcement would be extremely complex, requiring millions to choose between heritage and US citizenship plus a host of other sticky problems. 

In short, Senator Bernie Moreno’s proposal to ban dual citizenship is more a form of posturing to please Trump’s anti immigration policies. It remains symbolic and is unlikely to become law. The US legal framework strongly protects against involuntary loss of citizenship, and the measure faces steep political and constitutional hurdles. 

This means that I should be okay for a quite a while!