US Senator pushes bill to end dual citizenship

Bernie Moreno, United States Senator has introduced a controversial bill seeking to end the long-standing practice of dual citizenship for American nationals.

The proposed legislation, titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, aims to prohibit Americans from holding citizenship of another country, marking a major departure from current US law, which allows citizens to hold multiple nationalities without requiring any renunciation.

Moreno, who was born in Colombia and became a US citizen at 18, argued that maintaining dual citizenship creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

In a statement announcing the bill, he described American citizenship as a sacred commitment requiring exclusive allegiance.

“One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.

“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”, he said.

Moreno has since renounced his Colombian citizenship.

Read also: U.S. introduces stricter 2025 civics test for green card holders seeking citizenship

If passed, the bill could affect several high-profile Americans, including First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship.

It could also impact a significant number of Nigerian-Americans who maintain dual nationality.

According to a July US naturalisations annual flow report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised US citizens between 2021 and 2023, making Nigeria the 13th highest source country, and the only African country among the top 20.

Nigeria’s constitution allows citizens by birth to hold dual citizenship without forfeiting their Nigerian nationality.

Many Nigerians who naturalise in the US therefore retain both passports, a privilege that Moreno’s bill seeks to eliminate.

The proposal comes amid a national debate on immigration and citizenship.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to end automatic citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants.

The order was immediately challenged in court by 18 states and civil rights groups, who argue that it violates the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship guarantee.

The directive remains stalled by ongoing litigation.

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