A Republican senator is proposing to force immigrants to renounce their second citizenship or lose their American citizenship.

Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, a MAGA supporter, intends to introduce the "Exceptional Citizenship Act of 2025" in Congress. This initiative radically changes the approach to dual citizenship, writes The Daily Beast.

A bill introduced by Senator Moreno would require all Americans to pledge "exclusive loyalty" to the United States, effectively banning them from holding a passport from another country. According to Moreno, dual citizenship creates "conflicts of interest and divided loyalties," so it's time to put an end to it.

Moreno himself was born in Colombia and renounced his Colombian citizenship at the age of 18 to become an American.

"The greatest honor of my life was becoming an American citizen at 18," he admitted. "It was the honor of pledging allegiance to the United States of America and only the United States of America."

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The senator emphasizes that American citizenship is an "honor and a privilege," and if someone wants to be an American, it's "all or nothing." His bill changes existing immigration laws, forcing people to choose: either renounce their foreign passport or lose their American one.

How it will work

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security will establish a tracking system for dual citizens. They will have one year to formally renounce their second citizenship. If they fail to do so within one year, their U.S. citizenship will be automatically revoked. Those who fail to comply will be treated as aliens: they will be able to obtain a visa, but will not have the rights of citizenship.

Now, Americans can easily have dual citizenship without any “choice of loyalty.”

Moreno's idea fits into a broader debate about immigration in the United States. Republicans are increasingly talking about "protecting American identity."

Critics are already calling the proposal overly harsh. It could affect millions of naturalized citizens, including children of immigrants, and create bureaucratic chaos. Moreno, however, insists it's a step toward "true loyalty" to America.

The White House has not yet responded to the initiative. Interestingly, it directly affects President Trump's family. Among those affected by the legislation are First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron. Melania, born in Slovenia, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in July 2006 under an EB-1 visa for people with "exceptional ability" and "international recognition." She is the second First Lady born outside the United States (after Louisa Adams, born in London in 1775).

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Melania and 19-year-old Barron still hold dual citizenship: American and Slovenian. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mary Jordan's 2024 book, "The Art of Her Deal," Melania specifically obtained Slovenian citizenship for her son—it is not automatically passed on.

As Jordan writes, Melania did this to offer her son "options": "A Slovenian passport opens many doors... It makes it easier to work throughout Europe, easier to start a business, easier to inherit land. It's simply a mother's concern—to give her son opportunities."

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