The organization Voto Latino condemned on Wednesday a bill that would prohibit Americans from having dual citizenship, urging Congress to reject the initiative on the grounds that it would force millions of people to choose between their legal rights and their identity. The 2025 Exclusive Citizenship Act, introduced by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, born in Colombia, would apply to both U.S.-born individuals and naturalized immigrants, prohibiting them from holding U.S. and foreign nationality simultaneously. It would also establish that Americans who acquire a different nationality would automatically forfeit their U.S. citizenship. "This bill is a direct attack on the multiculturalism that defines our country," the organization said in a statement. When presenting the bill, Moreno argued that the measure is based on the loyalty that every American should have to the country. However, Voto Latino noted that the initiative further sows division and "instrumentalizes patriotism," forcing dual nationals to "choose a side." The organization warned that the measure would break the cultural and family ties that are fundamental to American identity. "Under the current administration, we have seen how Republican lawmakers have dared to impose a narrative on who belongs and who does not belong in this country," the organization emphasized. Voto Latino urged Congress to reject the legislative proposal and instead focus on bipartisan solutions that defend the constitutional rights of all Americans, regardless of their origin. It is unclear how much support Moreno has for the bill to be passed, which could also face constitutional challenges. The Supreme Court ruled in 1967 that Congress does not have the authority, under the Constitution, to strip a person of their U.S. citizenship without their voluntary renunciation, and that citizenship is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.
