SCAM Act

Key Points

• Congress is considering a bill that would make it easier for the government to take away the citizenship of people who were not born in the U.S. but became citizens later. This process, known as denaturalization, would apply if a person commits certain serious crimes or acts of fraud shortly after becoming a citizen.
• Under the proposal, the government could take away citizenship if a person joins a terrorist group, works as a spy, or commits a serious crime within 10 years of becoming a citizen. The government would view these actions as proof that the person was not actually of 'good moral character' when they first applied for citizenship.
• The bill also targets people who cheat government programs, like Social Security or local welfare, out of $10,000 or more. If this fraud happens within 10 years of the person becoming a citizen, the government could cancel their citizenship and act as if they were never a citizen at all.
• If a person loses their citizenship under these rules, they would face fast-tracked deportation to be removed from the country. This would apply regardless of how long they have lived in the U.S. or what their legal status was before they became a citizen.

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