Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025

Full Title:
Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025

Summary#

This bill, the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, would make it illegal to hold United States citizenship at the same time as any foreign citizenship. It defines "foreign citizenship" as a status from another country that gives nationality or requires allegiance. Under the bill: (a) a person may not be a U.S. citizen while also holding foreign citizenship; (b) a U.S. citizen who voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship after the bill is enacted would be treated as having given up U.S. citizenship; (c) current dual citizens would have 1 year after enactment to either renounce their foreign citizenship to the Secretary of State or renounce U.S. citizenship to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and failure to comply would be treated as voluntary relinquishment under section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1481(a)); and (d) the main prohibition takes effect 180 days after enactment. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to issue regulations and recordkeeping procedures and to coordinate with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to record and treat people deemed to have relinquished citizenship as aliens. The Secretary of Homeland Security must publish a notice of the renunciation requirement in the Federal Register. Definitions in the bill refer to terms used in the immigration laws.

What it means for you#

  • If you are a U.S. citizen who also has a foreign citizenship, you would need to choose one within 1 year after the bill takes effect.
  • If you do not renounce a foreign citizenship to the Secretary of State or renounce U.S. citizenship to the Secretary of Homeland Security within that year, the bill treats you as having voluntarily given up U.S. citizenship under existing immigration law.
  • If you become a foreign citizen after the bill takes effect, the bill says you would be deemed to have relinquished U.S. citizenship.
  • The rules in Section 4 begin 180 days after the bill becomes law. Federal agencies must write and publish procedures within 180 days.

Expenses#

No publicly available information. The bill requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Homeland Security to carry out rulemaking, recordkeeping, coordination, and publication, but it does not include estimates of costs or budget effects.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings state that supporters want to preserve the integrity of national citizenship and believe U.S. allegiance should be undivided. The findings say that allowing citizens to keep foreign citizenship can create conflicts of interest and that it is in the national interest to ensure citizenship is held exclusively.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.