About half of all the nations in the world allow dual citizenship. The citizens of these countries can also be citizens of another country. In the United States, citizens of a foreign nation must follow the standard requirements to become U.S. citizens but can also keep their original citizenship. Likewise, U.S. citizens can accept citizenship from another country without losing their U.S. citizenship.
A core tenet of the small number of proponents of Puerto Rican independence is the belief that U.S. citizens would be able to accept citizenship from a new Republic of Puerto Rico without losing their U.S. citizenship. Although there is no guarantee that this would be the case, a new bill, introduced by Rep. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), could complicate the situation further by making dual citizenship illegal for Americans.
Nations that don’t allow dual citizenship include China, Japan, India, and Singapore.
Moreno’s bill
Moreno is himself a naturalized citizen, born in Bogotá, Colombia. “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” Senator Moreno said in a press release. “It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”
The bill, named the ‘‘Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,’’ claims:
“Existing law allows certain United States citizens to maintain foreign citizenship, which may create conflicts of interest and divided loyalties. It is in the national interest of the United States to ensure that United States citizenship is held exclusively.”
The rules it proposes are straightforward:
- “An individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously possessing any foreign citizenship.”
- “A citizen of the United States who, after the date of the enactment of this Act, voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship shall be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship.”
- Anyone possessing dual citizenship at the time the law is passed will be required to choose between the citizenships, renouncing either their U.S. citizenship or the other nationalities they hold.
- If dual citizens fail to relinquish their other citizenship, they would legally have relinquished their U.S. citizenship.
What does this mean for Puerto Rico?
Although the Moreno bill has a long road to passage and appears unlikely to become law at this time, its message is clear: legislative efforts to decrease the scope of dual citizenship are possible, and there is at least one Senator who wants to see it happen.
If enacted, the effect of the new law on Puerto Ricans would depend on the political status of Puerto Rico. Under the current status as U.S. territory, a future Moreno-style law would not affect the U.S. citizens of Puerto Ricans who do not have dual citizenship with another country. If Puerto Rico were to become a state, Puerto Ricans could keep their U.S. citizenship while becoming residents of their new state. However, if Puerto Rico were to become independent, anyone who accepted Puerto Rican citizenship would automatically lose U.S. citizenship.
Regardless of the fate of the Moreno bill, the new citizens of a newly independent Puerto Rico, with or without a Compact of Free Association, would find their statutory U.S. citizenship to be increasingly at risk. Efforts like those of Senator Moreno would enhance this vulnerability and could accelerate the eventual end of U.S. citizenship in a new nation of Puerto Rico.
What Will Happen to U.S. Citizenship in a New Nation of Puerto Rico? The Word from Washington
