US Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Strip, Deport Naturalised Citizens Linked to Terrorism
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A member of the United States Congress, Riley Moore, has unveiled plans to introduce legislation that would allow authorities to revoke the citizenship of naturalised Americans involved in terrorism and deport them.
The proposed bill, titled the DEPORT Act, is designed to strengthen national security by targeting individuals who gained US citizenship but later engage in or support terrorist activities. Moore said the measure would create stricter legal pathways to remove such individuals from the country.
According to the lawmaker, the initiative was prompted by recent violent incidents allegedly involving naturalised citizens. He cited a March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where a naturalised citizen of Sierra Leonean origin reportedly opened fire in a classroom, leaving one person dead and others injured.
Moore argued that individuals with prior terrorism-related offences should not retain the privileges of US citizenship. He referenced the suspect’s earlier conviction for providing support to extremist groups, noting that existing legal limitations prevented authorities from revoking citizenship after the individual’s release.
The proposed legislation seeks to expand the timeframe during which terrorism-related actions can be treated as evidence of fraudulent naturalisation, extending it from five to ten years. It also introduces provisions aimed at addressing so-called “lone-wolf” attackers.
Additionally, the bill would require all applicants for US citizenship to formally declare that they have no intention of engaging in terrorist acts against the country.
Moore further pointed to other recent attacks in the United States allegedly involving naturalised citizens, arguing that these incidents highlight gaps in current immigration and security laws.
He maintained that the DEPORT Act would close those gaps by making it easier for authorities to act decisively against individuals who threaten national security after obtaining citizenship.
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