This bill would add a new requirement for people seeking U.S. citizenship by naturalization. Applicants would have to sign, under oath and penalty of perjury, a written attestation that they (1) have not been convicted of or had pending charges for a long list of federal terrorism-related offenses at the time of the application or oath, and (2) do not intend to commit any such offense in the future. The Department of Homeland Security would have 180 days to add this attestation to the naturalization form (Form N-400). The oath of allegiance would also include an express renunciation of intent to commit covered offenses.
The bill defines "covered offenses" by listing many federal criminal provisions in title 18, including crimes described as federal terrorism, providing material support to terrorists or terrorist organizations, financing terrorism, receiving training from terrorist groups, use or possession of weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons offenses, seditious conspiracy, and related conspiracies and attempts.
The bill also changes denaturalization and immigration rules. It allows convictions or other specified evidence of terrorism-related conduct to be used as evidence that naturalization was illegally obtained, and it creates rebuttable presumptions where a person previously signed the required attestation. The Attorney General would bring civil denaturalization cases in U.S. district courts. If naturalization is revoked, the person would be subject to removal proceedings. The bill makes convictions for covered offenses a ground of inadmissibility and would bar people with such convictions from receiving immigration benefits, including naturalization, and from admission if denaturalized or previously removed for a covered offense. The bill removes time limits for bringing these denaturalization proceedings and includes rules about detention, statelessness, and judicial review.
No publicly available information on estimated costs, budget impacts, or federal spending is included in the bill text. The bill does require administrative actions described in the text, such as revising the Form N-400 within 180 days, notifications by U.S. attorneys to DHS within 30 days after certain convictions become final, and new civil litigation by the Department of Justice, but it does not provide cost estimates.
No publicly available information in the provided text about proponents' statements, arguments, or official sponsor explanations.
No publicly available information in the provided text about opponents' statements, arguments, or critiques.