Bill expands grounds to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans

What it does

This bill makes it easier for the government to revoke someone's U.S. citizenship by: (1) allowing revocation if they commit ANY felony after naturalization, not just serious political crimes; (2) removing the 5-year time limit for revoking citizenship based on membership in totalitarian or treasonous organizations; and (3) eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting unlawful naturalization fraud (section 1425), meaning the government can bring charges at any time, forever.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is to broaden grounds for denaturalization and remove time limits on prosecution for naturalization fraud. It is not a commemorative, appropriations, or tax bill—it is a substantive change to immigration law that expands government power over citizenship status.

What the text implies

• Retroactive application risk: the bill does not specify whether the new felony-conviction ground applies only to convictions after enactment or also to prior convictions, potentially exposing naturalized citizens convicted of felonies years or decades ago to sudden denaturalization.
• Felony scope undefined: 'any felony' includes minor felonies (e.g., some drug offenses, property crimes) that may not reflect disloyalty or fraud, yet trigger citizenship loss—a penalty more severe than the underlying crime.
• Unlimited prosecution window for § 1425 (fraudulent procurement of citizenship) means a naturalized citizen can be prosecuted for alleged misstatements on naturalization forms at any point in their life, even after decades of lawful residence.
• Interaction with § 340(c) membership ground: removal of the 5-year limit on revoking citizenship for membership in totalitarian/treasonous organizations means past membership—even if disclosed or known to authorities—can be used to strip citizenship indefinitely.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Naturalized citizens face expanded jeopardy to their citizenship status based on any felony conviction (not just political crimes) with no time limit, and prosecutors can pursue naturalization fraud charges indefinitely, creating permanent legal vulnerability and undermining the finality that citizenship is supposed to provide.

Named in the bill

Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, 8 U.S.C. § 340(c) (Immigration and Nationality Act), 18 U.S.C. § 3291 (statute of limitations), 18 U.S.C. § 1425 (fraudulent procurement of citizenship)

Where it stands

• Mar 17, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Mar 17, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.