A new legislative proposal introduced by an Ohio senator aims to abolish dual citizenship in the United States. The bill, titled the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,” would prohibit any individual from holding U.S. citizenship while simultaneously maintaining citizenship of another country.
If the act becomes law, U.S. citizens who voluntarily obtain foreign nationality after its enactment would be required to surrender their American citizenship. Individuals who already possess dual citizenship would be given a deadline of one year from the law’s implementation to make a formal choice. They must either renounce their foreign nationality through the Secretary of State or give up their U.S. citizenship through the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Failure to take action within the stipulated one-year period would result in the automatic loss of U.S. citizenship under Section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. According to the bill, such individuals would then be classified as foreign nationals for immigration purposes.
The proposed law also instructs the Secretary of State to establish clear rules and record-keeping systems for verifying exclusive citizenship. These systems must be coordinated with the Attorney General and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that any change in citizenship status is accurately updated in federal databases.
The senator behind the bill stated that American citizenship should represent exclusive loyalty, emphasizing that individuals must fully commit to being American without divided national affiliations.
However, the proposal faces constitutional challenges. Several landmark Supreme Court rulings have upheld the legality of dual citizenship. In Talbot v. Jansen (1795), the court ruled that acquiring foreign citizenship does not automatically cancel U.S. citizenship. Later, in Afroyim v. Rusk (1967), the court decisively stated that U.S. citizenship cannot be revoked unless an individual voluntarily renounces it.
Although the U.S. government does not officially track the number of dual citizens, estimates suggest that over 40 million Americans may qualify for or already hold dual citizenship. A significant portion of this population includes Mexican-Americans, according to international residency research organizations.
