Bill Summary
The "Naturalization Accountability Act" proposes significant changes to the grounds for the revocation of U.S. citizenship. Specifically, it seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by:
1. Allowing for the revocation of naturalization for any felony conviction, removing the previous requirement that this action must occur within five years of naturalization.
2. Eliminating the five-year limitation for revocation of naturalization related to membership in certain totalitarian or treasonous organizations.
3. Removing the ten-year statute of limitations for prosecuting individuals who unlawfully procure citizenship or naturalization, thereby enabling indefinite legal action for such offenses.
Overall, this legislation aims to strengthen the criteria for maintaining U.S. citizenship by making it easier to revoke citizenship based on criminal activity or affiliations with certain organizations.
Possible Impacts
The "Naturalization Accountability Act" as described in the text could have several significant effects on individuals and communities. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Risk of Deportation for Felons**: Under the new provisions, any individual who has been convicted of a felony, regardless of when that conviction occurred, could face revocation of their naturalization. This means that naturalized citizens with felony convictions may be at a heightened risk of deportation, potentially separating them from their families and communities. This could disproportionately affect minority and low-income populations who may already be facing systemic issues in the criminal justice system.
2. **Permanent Consequences for Membership in Certain Organizations**: The removal of the 5-year limitation on the revocation of naturalization for individuals associated with totalitarian or treasonous organizations could result in permanent loss of citizenship for individuals who may have had very brief associations or memberships in such groups. This could lead to situations where individuals, who may have made choices in their youth or under duress, are unable to fully reintegrate into society, leading to stigma and social isolation.
3. **Legal Uncertainty and Fear of Naturalization**: The elimination of the 10-year statute of limitations for certain criminal penalties related to the procurement of citizenship could create a chilling effect on those seeking naturalization. Potential applicants may be deterred from pursuing citizenship due to fear that past actions, even those that are no longer prosecutable, could be revisited indefinitely. This could result in fewer immigrants seeking citizenship, which may affect their ability to fully participate in civic life, access rights and benefits, and contribute economically to their communities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4105 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4105
To include any felony conviction as a ground for revocation of
naturalization, to strike the 5-year limitation on the revocation of
naturalization for membership in certain totalitarian or treasonous
organizations, and to eliminate the 10-year statute of limitation for
certain criminal penalties that would disqualify a person from
naturalization.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 17, 2026
Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To include any felony conviction as a ground for revocation of
naturalization, to strike the 5-year limitation on the revocation of
naturalization for membership in certain totalitarian or treasonous
organizations, and to eliminate the 10-year statute of limitation for
certain criminal penalties that would disqualify a person from
naturalization.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Naturalization Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. REVOCATION OF NATURALIZATION.
Section 340(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1451) is amended--
(1) by striking ``shall within five years next following
such naturalization become'' and inserting ``becomes''; and
(2) by inserting ``or has been convicted at any time of any
felony,'' after ``section 313,''.
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF 10-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATION FOR CRIMINAL
PENALTIES FOR PROCUREMENT OF CITIZENSHIP OR
NATURALIZATION UNLAWFULLY.
Section 3291 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``No person'' and inserting the following:
``(a) Ten-Year Limitation.--No person'';
(2) by striking ``sections 1423 to 1428'' and inserting
``sections 1423, 1424, and 1426 to 1428''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) No Limitation.--Notwithstanding any other law, an indictment
may be found or an information instituted at any time without
limitation for any offense under section 1425.''.
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