Bill expands grounds to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans
S. 4105 — Naturalization Accountability Act · Filed by Tom Cotton (R-AR) · Introduced Mar 17, 2026 · Referred to committee
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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.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
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.