United States senator, Bernie Moreno, has introduced a bill that seeks to eliminate dual citizenship for American nationals.

Currently, US law allows citizens to hold multiple nationalities without requiring them to renounce any.

However, Moreno’s bill, dubbed the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, argues that this flexibility may create “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

“One of the greatest honours of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” said the Colombian-born senator.

“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

If passed, the law could affect notable US citizens such as Melania Trump, the US first lady, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship. It would also impact many Nigerians who hold dual citizenship in Nigeria and the US.

According to a July report on US naturalisations by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 38,890 Nigerians were sworn in as naturalised US citizens from 2021 to 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the most naturalised citizens and was the only African country in the top 20.

Nigerian law permits dual citizenship for citizens by birth, allowing them to acquire or retain another nationality without losing Nigerian citizenship.

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at denying automatic citizenship to US-born children of undocumented immigrants.

The order faced immediate lawsuits from 18 states and rights groups, citing violations of the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship clause, and has yet to take effect due to ongoing legal challenges. (Vanguard)

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