Deport the Terrorists Act of 2026

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.