A Republican senator from Ohio has introduced legislation that would eliminate dual citizenship in the United States, a move that would directly impact First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron Trump, both of whom hold dual citizenship with Slovenia.
Sen. Bernie Moreno plans to introduce the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, which would require all U.S. citizens with foreign citizenship to choose between the two countries. The legislation aims to mandate that citizens pledge “exclusive allegiance” to the United States, eliminating the current practice that allows Americans to maintain citizenship in multiple nations simultaneously.
The bill represents a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy. Under current law, Americans can hold citizenship both domestically and abroad without being forced to select one allegiance over another. Moreno’s proposal would fundamentally change this arrangement by requiring dual citizens to make a binding choice.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia and became a U.S. citizen at age 18, has renounced his Colombian citizenship. In announcing his legislation on December 1, 2025, he emphasized his personal connection to the citizenship process.
“One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” Moreno said. “It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America.”
The senator argues that dual citizenship creates conflicts of interest and divided loyalties that undermine American interests. His proposed law would establish a comprehensive system to track and enforce the new citizenship requirements through the State Department and Department of Homeland Security.
Under the bill’s provisions, dual citizens would be identified through a government database and given one year to make their choice. Those who fail to comply within that timeframe would automatically lose their U.S. citizenship.
The legislation would also apply to future citizenship acquisitions. Any U.S. citizen who voluntarily obtains foreign citizenship after the law’s enactment would be deemed to have relinquished their American citizenship automatically.
Melania Trump obtained U.S. citizenship in July 2006, making her the only first lady to become a naturalized citizen. She was born in Slovenia.
According to Mary Jordan’s book “The Art of Her Deal,” both Melania and Barron Trump have maintained their Slovenian passports alongside their American citizenship. Jordan documented that Melania filed the necessary paperwork to secure Slovenian citizenship for Barron, as it was not automatically granted to him.
The book noted that Barron speaks Slovenian, maintaining a connection to his mother’s heritage.
The enforcement mechanism proposed in Moreno’s bill would create federal oversight of citizenship status through a database system managed by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to track dual citizens.
