Sponsors (11)
The bill tightens denaturalization grounds and speeds removal to strengthen national security and deter fraud, but does so in ways that substantially increase risks to due process, civil liberties, potential discrimination, and administrative costs for naturalized immigrants and government agencies.
Taxpayers and the general public: Enables removal of U.S. citizenship for individuals who obtained naturalization through fraud, ties to terrorist groups, aggravated felonies, or specified espionage offenses, which can reduce security risks and remove bad actors from the citizen roll.
Federal prosecutors and immigration officials: Clarifies legal bases and statutory grounds for denaturalization, making enforcement more consistent and aiding prosecutors in bringing denaturalization cases.
Immigration courts and DOJ: Establishes expedited removal procedures for denaturalized persons, speeding case processing and reducing backlog in denaturalization/removal cases.
Naturalized immigrants and their families: The bill increases the risk of retroactive denaturalization or loss of citizenship under broadened grounds with limited procedural protections, which can disrupt families, employment, benefits, and long‑settled reliance interests.
Immigrant communities and racial/ethnic minorities: Broad findings and vague standards (e.g., expansive notions of "attachment" or moral character) can stigmatize communities and enable uneven or discriminatory application of denaturalization authority.
Taxpayers and government agencies: Expanded denaturalization authority and retroactive voiding of citizenship are likely to generate additional litigation and administrative burdens (including potential benefit clawbacks), increasing costs for federal and state governments and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Expands federal grounds and procedures to revoke naturalization and void certificates for people who within 10 years affiliate with designated terrorist groups, commit certain frauds or designated crimes, with retroactive effect.
Introduced January 15, 2026 by Eric Stephen Schmitt · Last progress January 15, 2026
Creates new, broader federal grounds and procedures for civil denaturalization by treating certain post-naturalization conduct as prima facie evidence that the person lacked the required moral character or attachment to the Constitution at the time they naturalized. It makes affiliation with a designated foreign terrorist organization, certain frauds against government programs of $10,000 or more, and specified aggravated felony/espionage offenses that begin or occur within 10 years after naturalization triggers revocation of the naturalization order and voiding of the certificate, with removal through expedited immigration proceedings. The bill also makes denaturalization retroactive to the date of original naturalization, provides a 5-year fallback if a 10-year lookback is found unconstitutional, and preserves the remainder of the law if any provision is struck down. It changes how courts treat evidence and outcomes in denaturalization cases and expands enforcement tools available to the government.