In light of recent incidents involving immigrants who have gained citizenship, Rep. Riley Moore (R-Va.) has declared his intention to put forward legislation aimed at permitting the United States to denaturalize and deport naturalized citizens involved in terrorism. This announcement came on Thursday, with Moore describing a disturbing trend of naturalized individuals perpetrating terrorist acts, stating that “this has to end.”
Moore’s proposed legislation would enable the government to revoke citizenship from those who commit or support terrorist activity. Following his announcement, fellow Republicans, including Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) and Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), expressed their intention to back the bill.
Recent events highlight the urgency of the matter. Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, a naturalized citizen from Lebanon, attempted to drive into a Michigan synagogue where children were present. In a separate incident, Mohamed Baylor Jallow, a naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia, tragically killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.
Additionally, Sheikh Barat and Ibrahim Qayumi, the children of naturalized immigrants from Turkey and Afghanistan, tried to bomb an anti-Muslim protest in New York City. Earlier in the month, Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized citizen from Senegal, went on a shooting spree in Austin, resulting in three fatalities and numerous injuries.
This week, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) reiterated his support for another piece of legislation known as the Stopping Civil Rights Abuse and Misrepresentations Act (SCAM), which he is sponsoring in the Senate. This bill seeks to widen the criteria for denaturalization, aiming to cover those involved in fraud, terrorism, or certain felonies. It has gained traction partly in response to rising concerns about fraud in government programs associated with the immigrant community.
In a post on X, Schmitt emphasized the importance of passing the SCAM Act, asserting, “We must denaturalize people who shouldn’t be here.” Current laws permit denaturalization only under limited circumstances, primarily when fraud has been proven, and the existing evidence threshold is quite high. The SCAM Act would enhance the government’s authority, allowing denaturalization for individuals who commit serious crimes within ten years of receiving citizenship.
Schmitt stressed that under current laws, it is nearly impossible to denaturalize individuals deemed threats. He asserted that the SCAM Act could empower the government to remove those who shouldn’t have received citizenship originally.
