Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced a bill expanding the denaturalization process for individuals committing fraud or other serious felonies, as well as those who join terrorist organizations.
According to the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act, becoming a naturalized citizen “means not only having the right to live and work in the United States and gaining access to various social, economic, and political benefits, but also accepting sacred duties and obligations to our Nation.”
It further states that if an individual who has been naturalized is “convicted of, admits to having committed, or admits to committing acts constituting the essential elements of, an offense involving fraud, an attempt to defraud, or conspiracy to defraud” any federal, state, local, or tribal government, then “such conviction or admission shall be considered prima facie.”
The bill notes that naturalized citizens are considered to be “a person of good moral character,” “attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States” and are “Well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States.”
“American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character, and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States,” Schmitt said in a statement. “The rampant fraud uncovered in Minnesota must be a wakeup call. People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship.”
“They must be denaturalized because they have proven they never met the requirements for the great honor of American citizenship in the first place,” he said. “We must protect and restore the institution of American citizenship. No more talk. It’s time for action.”
