GOP senator pushes bill to end dual citizenship

Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno introduced legislation earlier this month that would require Americans to hold only U.S. citizenship, forcing potentially millions to choose between their citizenship and connections to heritage countries.

What you need to know: Under the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, current dual citizens would have 12 months to renounce all foreign citizenships or automatically lose their U.S. status. Anyone acquiring foreign citizenship after the law takes effect would immediately lose American citizenship.

Moreno, who immigrated from Colombia as a child and renounced his birth citizenship when he naturalized at 18, framed the bill as a matter of loyalty. “Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege — and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing,” he said in a statement.

What this means: The legislation would disproportionately affect Asian American communities with deep ties to heritage nations. Korean Americans, for instance, face especially complex circumstances as roughly 250,000 diaspora Koreans globally hold dual citizenship without knowing it. Additionally, American-born men must complete South Korean military service through age 38 under a 2005 nationality law change. Many only discover this obligation in adulthood, creating a difficult choice between renouncing Korean citizenship, which permanently blocks government benefits or permanent residency rights, and serving in an unfamiliar military.

Beyond Korean Americans, Filipino, Indian and Chinese communities would lose legal pathways to own property, run businesses or support relatives in origin countries. For many Asian Americans, dual citizenship represents not divided loyalty but practical necessity in maintaining transnational family and economic networks.

Broader implications: The proposal also faces significant constitutional and financial obstacles. Legal experts note the bill conflicts with two Supreme Court rulings: Afroyim v. Rusk bars Congress from removing citizenship without voluntary renunciation, and Vance v. Terrazas requires the government to prove intent.

A YouGov poll conducted after Moreno introduced his bill shows deep partisan divides. Republicans favor ending dual citizenship 59% to 36%, while Democrats oppose it 64% to 21%, with Americans overall rejecting the restriction 45% to 31%. Interestingly, the bill could even affect First Lady Melania Trump and son Barron, who hold both U.S. and Slovenian citizenships.