A U.S. lawmaker has put forward a bill that would eliminate dual citizenship for American nationals—a proposal that could impact citizens of several countries, including thousands of Nigerians.
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno introduced the legislation, which would require Americans to hold only U.S. citizenship. Under existing law, individuals may be citizens of the United States and another country simultaneously, as long as the other country also permits dual nationality.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia and moved to the U.S. as a child, said he renounced his Colombian citizenship upon turning 18.
“It was an honor to pledge allegiance to the United States of America—and only to the United States of America,” he stated. “American citizenship is a privilege, and if you choose it, it should be all or nothing.”The proposed bill would give dual citizens one year to choose between their U.S. citizenship and their other nationality. According to the legislation, the current system “may create conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”
The proposal comes months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born in the country to undocumented immigrants. That order faced immediate legal challenges from 18 states and several rights groups, who argued it violates the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship provision. Court battles have so far prevented it from taking effect.
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