Rep. Moore Introduces DEPORT Act to Strip Citizenship from Naturalized Citizens Convicted of Terrorism

All naturalized citizens would face a new legal framework making it easier for the government to strip their citizenship if they are convicted of terrorism-related crimes. Even people who became citizens years ago could be affected, since the bill applies retroactively to anyone naturalized within the past 10 years. While only a tiny number of naturalized citizens would ever face actual denaturalization proceedings, the structural change creates a permanent two-tier system where naturalized citizens have less secure citizenship than people born in the U.S.

All green card holders seeking to naturalize would face a new mandatory attestation requirement, adding a sworn terrorism disavowal to the citizenship application process. While this is largely a procedural addition for the vast majority, it signals heightened scrutiny and creates a new legal mechanism that could be used against applicants. The attestation becomes a permanent part of their record that could be used against them if they are ever convicted of a covered offense after becoming citizens.

Any noncitizen convicted of a covered terrorism offense would become inadmissible to the U.S. and lose all immigration benefits, including visa status, temporary protected status, deferred action, and asylum eligibility. The bill eliminates any waiver that might otherwise let them stay, creating an absolute bar to remaining in or returning to the country.

Undocumented individuals convicted of terrorism offenses would be permanently barred from any form of immigration relief, including asylum, cancellation of removal, voluntary departure, deferred action, and parole. This closes off every possible legal pathway that might currently offer some protection from deportation, even in extreme circumstances.

Naturalized citizens with terrorism-related convictions face the most severe consequences under this bill. A conviction triggers a presumption that they lied during their citizenship process, shifting the burden of proof onto them to prove their innocence. If denaturalized, they face mandatory detention, deportation, and a permanent lifetime ban from ever returning to the U.S., with no possibility of a waiver.