The legislation could reportedly affect Slovenia-born First Lady Melania Trump and some 40 million Americans if enacted
US Senator Bernie Moreno has introduced a bill to eliminate dual citizenship in the country. Under the proposed ‘Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025’ unveiled on Monday, anyone with dual citizenship would have to renounce their foreign nationality and pledge “exclusive allegiance” to the US to remain American.
The legislation would give Americans with dual citizenship one year to file a written renunciation of either their foreign citizenship or US citizenship. Those who do not comply would be considered to have voluntarily relinquished their US citizenship.
“If you want to be an American – it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” the Colombia-born senator for Ohio, who was granted US citizenship when he turned 18, said in a press-release.
According to media reports, the proposed legislation, if enacted, could directly affect Slovenia-born US First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron.
Melania moved to the US in 1996 and obtained US citizenship through a formal naturalization process. While there is no public confirmation that she retained her Slovenian citizenship, many biographical accounts say she did and arranged for Barron to obtain one as well.
Other US celebrities who could reportedly be affected include Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, actors Tom Hanks and Salma Hayek, and others.
Analysts note, however, that Moreno’s plan could run into a constitutional wall, as it conflicts with the 14th Amendment which guarantees that a US citizen cannot be stripped of their citizenship unless they willingly give it up. While the US does not keep an official database of dual citizens, more than 40 million Americans – about 12% of the population – could legally hold it, according to International Living, a global expat publication.
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The proposed bill aligns with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. Since returning to office, he has signed a series of executive orders aimed at strengthening border security, from introducing stricter eligibility requirements for asylum seekers to detaining thousands of illegal migrants and moving to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the US. The latter measure, however, was blocked almost immediately by federal courts, which ruled that it violates the constitution.
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