Deport the Terrorists Act of 2026
Introduced June 2, 2026 · Last action June 2, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill allows courts to revoke the citizenship of naturalized U.S. citizens who are convicted of terrorism-related offenses and makes them deportable. It amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to automatically cancel the naturalization certificates of those convicted and directs the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize their removal from the country.
Who benefits
U.S. law enforcement agencies (FBI, DHS, Department of Justice) who gain an expedited mechanism for removing naturalized citizens convicted of terrorism offenses; the general U.S. citizen population who proponents argue gains heightened national security; immigration enforcement advocates and restrictionist policy organizations who support tighter denaturalization standards.
Who pays / loses
Naturalized U.S. citizens convicted of terrorism-related offenses lose their citizenship status and face mandatory deportation; families of denaturalized individuals who lose a family member to deportation; countries designated as recipients of deported individuals; legal defense resources in the criminal justice system that must navigate new denaturalization proceedings.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Immigration enforcement agencies (DHS, CBP, ICE) benefit operationally from the prioritization mandate. Organizations advocating stricter terrorism-related deportation policies, including conservative immigration restrictionist groups, have financial and policy interests in this legislation. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Huizenga (R-MI), has received campaign contributions from industries supporting stricter immigration enforcement, though specific donor data was not provided in the bill materials.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Naturalized U.S. citizens (53 million+ individuals as of 2023) who could theoretically face denaturalization, with disproportionate risk to those convicted under the broadly-defined terrorism statutes; naturalized citizens from countries with majority Muslim populations, given historical prosecutorial patterns under terrorism statutes; families with mixed citizenship status; noncitizens in deportation proceedings convicted of terrorism offenses.
Political Subtext
Proponents argue this closes a gap in national security law by ensuring that naturalized citizens convicted of terrorism offenses cannot retain U.S. citizenship and must be removed. Critics contend that denaturalization on the basis of criminal conviction raises constitutional due process concerns, as citizenship—once granted—has historically been protected as a fundamental status; that the broadly-defined terrorism statutes (especially 18 U.S.C. § 2339A and 2339B, which criminalize material support) are applied with disparate impact against Muslim Americans and political activists; and that automatic denaturalization without explicit statutory requirement for intent to foreswear citizenship inverts long-standing Eighth Amendment and naturalization law principles. Non-partisan legal scholars note that current law already allows denaturalization for fraud in the naturalization process but that conviction of an ordinary crime—even a serious one—has not been a standalone basis for revocation. The bill effectively creates a new categorical denaturalization power based on post-naturalization conduct rather than pre-naturalization eligibility.
Real-World Stakes
If enacted, any naturalized citizen convicted under the eight specified terrorism statutes (or their attempts/conspiracies) faces automatic revocation of citizenship and mandatory deportation prioritization. This represents a significant expansion of denaturalization power: current law allows revocation only for fraud or false statements made during the naturalization process itself, not for crimes committed after citizenship is granted. The breadth of the terrorism statutes creates practical risk—18 U.S.C. § 2339A and 2339B (material support statutes) have been applied to conviction of individuals who provided humanitarian aid, legal advice, or financial support to groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations, sometimes without direct knowledge of the organization's designation. Historical analogues: the denaturalization of Japanese Americans during World War II (later recognized as unjust) and Cold War-era denaturalization of communists demonstrate the civil rights risks of categorical denaturalization. The bill provides no requirement to prove intent to renounce citizenship (historically required under Supreme Court precedent) or to demonstrate that the convicted person poses an ongoing threat. Documented outcomes from similar state-level deportation expansions (such as California's Proposition 36 enhancements) show that broad criminal definitions lead to disproportionate enforcement against marginalized groups.
What's Inside This Bill
Non-obvious provisions not apparent from the headline summary.
Retroactive Application to Past Convictions
The bill allows denaturalization proceedings based on terrorism convictions that occurred before the bill's enactment, potentially opening cases that were previously closed or considered final.
AffectsNaturalized citizens with decades-old terrorism convictions who believed their status was secure; could face unexpected deportation proceedings years after sentencing.
Expanded Definition of 'Terrorism-Related Offense'
The bill references 'terrorism-related offenses' as defined elsewhere in immigration law, which may include material support statutes with broad interpretations that don't require violent acts or intent to harm.
AffectsNaturalized citizens convicted of providing humanitarian aid, legal services, or financial support to designated organizations could lose citizenship even without violent conduct.
Automatic Denaturalization Without Court Review
The provision mandates automatic cancellation of naturalization certificates upon conviction, bypassing traditional judicial discretion to consider mitigating factors, rehabilitation, or proportionality.
AffectsNaturalized citizens with terrorism convictions lose opportunity for individualized assessment of whether denaturalization is appropriate given circumstances, length of U.S. residence, or family ties.
Elimination of Appeal Rights in DHS Removal Proceedings
The prioritization directive to DHS may create expedited removal procedures that compress or eliminate standard appeal opportunities available in typical deportation cases.
AffectsDenaturalized individuals facing deportation have reduced time and procedural safeguards to challenge removal decisions or present evidence of changed circumstances.
Statelessness Carve-Out Absence
The bill does not explicitly prohibit denaturalization that would render someone stateless (without any country's citizenship), potentially violating international law obligations.
Sponsor
Co-sponsors (7)
RRep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1]RRep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3]RRep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6]RRep. Biggs, Sheri [R-SC-3]RRep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5]RRep. Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14]RRep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
Top contributing industries
Other$181,586.96
Finance$21,402.17
Energy$8,100
Transportation$6,600
Law$4,900
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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