United States Senator Bernie Moreno has introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, a controversial bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for U.S. nationals. If passed, the legislation would require Americans to hold only U.S. citizenship, forcing those with additional nationalities—including thousands of Nigerians—to choose between identities.
Under current U.S. law, citizens may legally maintain more than one nationality without relinquishing their original citizenship. However, Moreno argues that dual citizenship poses risks to national loyalty and public trust. The senator, who previously held Colombian citizenship before renouncing it, said dual status encourages “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”
He insisted that American citizenship should be treated as “an honour and a privilege” that demands full allegiance. “If you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America. America First and America Only. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”
If enacted, the bill would have sweeping implications for Nigerians and millions of other dual citizens. Data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shows that 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised U.S. citizens between 2021 and 2023, making Nigeria the only African country among the top 20 nations with the highest number of new American citizens in that period.
Notably, prominent figures such as U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, who holds citizenship in both the U.S. and Slovenia, would also fall under the proposed restrictions.
While Nigerian law allows individuals by birth to retain multiple nationalities, Moreno’s proposal would compel Americans to renounce any foreign citizenship in order to maintain their U.S. status.
The development comes shortly after President Donald Trump issued an executive order attempting to restrict automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented parents. That directive is currently on hold, pending legal challenges citing protections under the 14th Amendment.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act is expected to spark intense national debate as lawmakers, civil rights groups, immigrant communities and international partners assess its potential impact.
