Judicial Loyalty Act of 2026

Key Points

• Rep. Stauber introduced a bill that would change the requirements for becoming a federal judge. Under this plan, only "natural born citizens"—people born in the U.S. or to American parents—would be allowed to serve on federal courts.
• The bill also targets current judges who hold dual citizenship. If a sitting judge is a citizen of both the U.S. and another country, they would have 60 days to officially give up their foreign citizenship. If they refuse to do so, they would be required to resign from their job.
• This policy aims to ensure that the people who interpret American laws have no legal ties or allegiances to other nations. It addresses concerns about potential conflicts of interest or foreign influence within the judicial branch.
• This would be a major change because naturalized citizens, who were born in other countries but became Americans later in life, are currently allowed to serve as federal judges. This bill would make them ineligible for any future judicial appointments.