Carlos Baquero/Getty Images
A new Republican bill to eliminate dual citizenship could put millions of Americans in limbo as they face an impossible choice: renounce their U.S. ties in favor of their new chosen country — or lose their American citizenship forever. At the same time, other nations are tightening their immigration rules, leaving Americans with fewer options.
Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno in December introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act, which would force anyone holding both U.S. citizenship and another country’s passport to pick one within a year of the bill’s passage. Those who don’t comply would automatically forfeit their American citizenship.
Under current rules, if a dual citizen is forced to give up their U.S. passport, the process involves extensive paperwork, interviews, and a $2,350 fee, according to the U.S. State Department.
The bill’s timing coincides with President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration reforms and aggressive crackdowns on illegal immigration. Moreno said the “all or nothing” approach of the bill is intentional. Moreno himself immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia as a child and renounced his Colombian citizenship when he became a U.S. citizen at 18.
While the proposal faces long odds in Congress, it’s sending shockwaves through immigrant communities and prompting U.S.-born citizens to reevaluate their options.
If the bill were to pass, it would be deeply unpopular with Americans. A YouGov poll conducted Dec. 2-4 found that only one-third (31%) of Americans support the idea that a naturalized U.S. citizen should have to renounce foreign citizenship, while 45% said there should be no such rule.
It’s unclear how many people might be impacted if the legislation were to pass because the U.S. doesn’t track dual citizenship.
Henley & Partners, a global advisory firm specializing in residence and citizenship by investment, reported a 183% increase in inquiries from U.S. nationals seeking dual citizenship options in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
In commentary on the report’s findings, Peter J. Spiro, a law professor with Temple University Law School, noted that the second Trump administration has "introduced a sense of urgency for those who fear the worst, or at least the possibility of the worst."
More Americans are confronting a stark reality: "U.S. citizenship alone no longer feels like a sufficient safeguard,” Spiro wrote. “The enduring value of an American passport is now paired with a growing desire for a backup plan. Dual citizenship, once a luxury, is becoming the new American dream. In an era of rising uncertainty, many are seeking not just the right to stay, but the right to leave."
Miami-based immigration attorney Michelle Abeckjerr sees the confusion firsthand.
"Everyone that I work with when they're applying for U.S. citizenship, it's their second or more nationality," she said.
The reasoning behind wanting multiple passports has shifted in recent years. Obvious benefits include easier international travel, protection from deportation (for naturalized citizens), the ability to sponsor family members for immigration and access to work and residency rights in another country.
Today, the underlying motivation to have a foreign passport is quite simple, Abeckjerr said.
"The mean idea is to have choices," Abeckjerr said. "Economically, politically, if you don't align with the United States, you have the option to then move somewhere else. The global climate is shifting, and there's been a lot of changes. And so, with uncertainty, people feel more comfortable with options."
Still, the concept of dual citizenship is far-fetched for most Americans, according to Jen Barnett, co-founder of Expatsi.
"Applying for dual citizenship is rare for Americans outside of citizenship by ancestry," Barnett said. "But more rare are Americans who renounce their American citizenship when they achieve citizenship outside the U.S."
Americans seeking dual citizenship have another wrinkle to consider: taxes. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world (the other is Eritrea in Africa) that requires its citizens to file and pay taxes even if they live abroad. While tax treaties between the U.S. and some countries can help citizens avoid double taxation, the complexity depends on where they live.
But this could also have unintended consequences for Uncle Sam, Barnett noted.
"If Americans aren’t allowed to have dual citizenship, many will renounce [citizenship] and the U.S. will lose that tax income," Barnett predicted.
Millions of Americans may be eligible for dual citizenship, many through ancestry laws in countries like Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy. These programs surged in popularity after the pandemic, but some nations are tightening restrictions to stem the flow of new immigrants.
For instance, in 2025, Italy limited claims to those with an Italian parent or grandparent after being overwhelmed by immigration applications. Meanwhile, Ireland maintains stable citizenship-by-descent laws for those with Irish-born grandparents or registered ancestors. Mexico offers citizenship in five years for most applicants — two if you're married to a Mexican citizen.
There’s also citizenship by investment or “golden visas,” where countries (including the U.S.) offer citizenship to wealthier newcomers in exchange for an economic or monetary investment in the host country. This gives them the right to live, work, study and access benefits in that country even if they don’t live there most of the time.
"For people who qualify, golden visas are paths to quick citizenship abroad, though mostly in small island nations," Barnett said.
It could take months or years for Moreno’s bill to leave committee and make it to a vote. Even so, it would likely face fierce political opposition from Democrats and be deeply unpopular among the American public.
The proposal would also certainly face legal hurdles. Previously, the Supreme Court ruled in Afroyim v. Rusk in 1967 that a U.S. citizen cannot lose their citizenship unless they willingly surrender it under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.
As more countries tighten immigration policies and limit popular citizenship-by-ancestry programs, the dream of dual citizenship might be harder to obtain. If U.S. citizens are thinking of getting that second passport, "the moment is now" to act, Abeckjerr said.
