Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has introduced a bill that would outlaw dual citizenship in the United States.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia, legally immigrated with his family at age 5, and became a naturalized citizen at 18, recently introduced The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, which would require those who are citizens of the United States and a foreign country to choose a single citizenship rather than remain dual citizens.
The bill would make it so that “an individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously possessing any foreign citizenship.”
Currently, Americans are permitted to hold foreign citizenship, but a press release from Moreno’s office upon the introduction of the bill claimed that dual citizenship “could create conflicts of interest.”
“One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” Moreno told Fox News Digital. “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.”
The bill’s text claims dual citizenship could lead to “divided loyalties,” and that “it is in the national interest of the United States to ensure that United States citizenship is held exclusively.”
Moreno’s Exclusive Citizenship Act also outlines the process by which Americans would renounce their dual citizenship. If the bill is signed into law, those who possess dual citizenship would have one year to submit to the Secretary of State their written renunciation of their foreign citizenship or to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security of their United States citizenship.
If a citizen of the United States voluntarily becomes a citizen of a foreign country, the bill notes such a person “shall be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship.“
Since becoming a senator in January, Moreno has intensely focused on immigration.
The Ohio senator appeared on Wednesday’s edition of “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss legal and illegal immigration. “You have to make certain that there’s some conditions to come here,” Moreno explained. This includes “learning the language,” which, the senator said, “unites us.”
“You have to understand that you coming here is a privilege and it’s an honor. You don’t have a right to come to America. It’s an honor and a privilege,” Moreno emphasized.
Moreno also spoke about his own family’s migration to the United States when he was a child. Moreno said his father reminded him and his siblings that America “welcomed us,” even when they were subject to intense searches upon traveling back and forth between Colombia. “The Democrats have systematically tried to destroy what it means to be an American. I find that insulting as an immigrant,” he added.
During his second administration, President Donald Trump, who also endorsed Moreno in his Senate run, continues to remain focused on immigration.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced a pause on immigration from 19 countries. This decision followed the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who entered under the Biden Administration. Afghanistan is one of the 19 countries on the Trump administrations list.
The president has also made citizenship a major issue. At the start of his second term, Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship, a move which Moreno supports. The order was quickly challenged, and the U.S. Supreme Court asked to get involved.
The justices recently declined to hear the case, but on Friday ultimately decided to hear the case to intervene on Trump, Moreno, and Republicans’ efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration and citizenship system.
This article has been updated to reflect the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the case on birthright citizenship.
