Millions to be banned from American citizenship if bill passes
"The No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act will ensure criminals will never be granted U.S. citizenship," Rep. Cory Mills said.
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Millions to Be Banned From American Citizenship if Bill Passes
Published Mar 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM EDT Updated Mar 29, 2025 at 9:49 AM EDT
By Nick Mordowanec
Staff Writer
Four House Republicans have introduced legislation that would bar all immigrants who entered the United States illegally from ever obtaining legal citizenship.
Florida Representative Cory Mills introduced the No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act on Thursday. Bill cosponsors include Oklahoma Representative Josh Brecheen, Maryland Representative Andy Harris, and Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
Newsweek reached out to all four lawmakers for comment.
Why It Matters
The bill comes as the Trump administration has remained aggressive in its illegal immigration enforcement measures, which have included more formidable threats against nations, including longtime U.S. allies, to deter illegal entry into the states.
A social media campaign by the administration has included visa warnings on U.S. embassy X and Facebook pages around the world, featuring top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
One such Facebook post and video published by the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia, features Noem delivering a message to the nation's citizens: "When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest. Now, if you are in this country to promote Hamas, to promote terrorist organizations, to participate in vandalism, to participate in acts of rebellion and riots on campus, we never would have let you in if we had known that. You lied to us. You're out."
Mexican National Guard officers patrol at a high point of El Nido de las Aguilas in eastern Tijuana, Mexico, on March 5, 2025, on the Mexico-U.S. border. GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images
In recent weeks, multiple nations in Europe and the Nordic regions have updated their travel advisories, warning their citizens to be careful if traveling to the U.S. without proper documentation. These countries have included Germany, Denmark, Canada and Australia.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced that it had paused some green card applications, potentially affecting thousands who came to the United States as refugees or asylum seekers.
What To Know
If enacted, the No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act would amend Section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which bill sponsors say will "protect American sovereignty by ensuring that illegal immigrants cannot exploit the U.S. immigration system."
It combines upholding the rule of law while strengthening border security.
"Under the Biden administration, we saw more than 10 million encounters at our borders, a crisis exacerbated by reckless catch-and-release policies that allowed criminals who broke our laws to remain in the United States," Mills said in a statement on Thursday. "President Trump has made it clear that anyone that tries to unlawfully undermine, exploit, or bypass our immigration system is a criminal.
"The No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act will ensure these criminals will never be granted U.S. citizenship, that privilege will be reserved for those who respect our laws."
It's unclear whether so-called "Dreamers" under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy would be included in this legislation or whether separate laws would have to be introduced and voted on by members of Congress.
According to the Pew Research Center, the unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. increased from 10.5 million to 11 million in 2022—the most recent estimates based on data from the 2022 American Community Survey. That increase reversed a trend from 2007 to 2019; however, the total number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022 was below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
Alluding to U.S. Census Bureau data, Pew says that more than 22 million unauthorized immigrants live in 6.3 million U.S. households, representing about 4.8 percent of 130 million households nationwide.
In about 86 percent of said households, either the householder or their spouse is an unauthorized immigrant. Nearly 70 percent of the households are "mixed status," or contain both legal and illegal residents.
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek that this bill aligns with other Trump hardline immigration policies, such as invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations of migrants from countries deemed adversarial.
"Despite the Republican majority in Congress, I believe the bill passage faces significant hurdles," Berardi said. "Immigration remains a deeply divisive issue, and even within the Republican Party, there are varying perspectives on how to address it.
"Moreover, the bill's terminology, particularly the use of 'alien invaders,' mirrors language used in recent executive actions and is likely to face legal challenges."
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, has expressed similar hesitation in using the Alien Enemies Act as legal impetus, in the past citing "big legal questions" and emphasizing the importance of due process.
Regarding DACA recipients, Berardi said that if this new legal authorization were enacted, it "could effectively eliminate any future opportunities for them to obtain U.S. citizenship."
"The bill doesn't explicitly exclude them, so it can certainly be viewed as a threat to their future prospects of legal status," she said.
While the bill has received backing from these Republican lawmakers, it is anticipated to face significant challenges in the legislative process. Should it pass the House, the bill would likely encounter a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, requiring 60 votes to overcome.
What People Are Saying
Oklahoma Representative Josh Brecheen: "America is a nation of laws, and if we allow those laws to be subverted by illegal aliens who have no constitutional right to be here in the first place, then we will cease to be a nation. The No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act prevents illegal aliens from being rewarded with citizenship after breaking our laws. It's time we get back to common sense policies that restore law and order to America."
What Happens Next
There is no timetable for Congress to vote on the legislation.
Update 3/28/25, 4:09 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Rosanna Berardi.
