Individuals who commit felony fraud or join terrorist organizations “have proven they never met the requirements for the great honor of American citizenship in the first place,” Sen. Eric Schmitt stated.
Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Jan. 15 would create new grounds for denaturalization, the legal process by which the federal government revokes U.S. citizenship, including post-naturalization affiliation with a foreign terrorist organization.
The bill, informally titled the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act, proposes that naturalized citizenship could be revoked in an individual “associates with, conspires with, aids or abets” a U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization within 10 years of becoming a naturalized citizen.
“American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), the bill’s lead sponsor, stated.