In a significant legislative move, US Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio has announced plans to introduce the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,” which would fundamentally alter America’s approach to dual nationality. The proposed legislation would compel all US citizens currently holding foreign citizenship to make a definitive choice between retaining their American status or maintaining their alternative nationality.
The bill, scheduled for introduction on Monday, represents one of the most comprehensive challenges to dual citizenship in recent American history. Under its provisions, current dual citizens would have exactly one year from enactment to formally renounce either their US citizenship or their foreign nationality. Those failing to comply within the designated timeframe would automatically be considered to have relinquished their American citizenship status.
Senator Moreno, who himself renounced his Colombian citizenship upon naturalizing as an American at age 18, articulated his rationale in a statement to Fox News: “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen. 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.”
The proposed legislation would mandate the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to establish comprehensive databases and enforcement mechanisms to implement these changes. Individuals who voluntarily or involuntarily relinquish their US citizenship would be systematically recorded in federal systems and thereafter treated as aliens under immigration laws.
This initiative aligns with broader immigration policy shifts observed during the Trump administration, though the administration has not previously taken an official stance on dual citizenship specifically. The proposal faces significant legal hurdles, as Supreme Court precedents from the 1950s have consistently upheld the legality of dual citizenship. Previous attempts to eliminate dual citizenship, including recent moves in the House to restrict dual citizens from serving in Congress, have encountered substantial opposition and legal challenges.