U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is spearheading a legislative push to bar naturalized Americans from serving in Congress and other top tiers of the federal government.
The South Carolina Republican unveiled a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would ban foreign-born U.S. citizens from becoming federal judges, serving in Congress, or holding Senate-confirmed positions. Mace, 48, framed the measure as an effort to ensure absolute allegiance to the nation.
“This is the very same standard the President and Vice President are already required to meet,” Mace wrote in a May 20 post on X. “The people writing America’s laws, confirming America’s judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America. Not any other country.”
In her announcement, Mace specifically singled out three sitting Democratic lawmakers who were born outside the United States: Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, born in Somalia; Shri Thanedar of Michigan, born in India; and Pramila Jayapal of Washington, also born in India.
“All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress,” Mace wrote. “All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America.”
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“This is racist legislation that denies the very history of a country that has been proudly shaped by immigrants,” Jayapal stated. “This is also insulting to the hundreds of thousands of constituents who elected naturalized citizens into office. This narrow-minded, xenophobic legislation has no place in Congress. I call on all my colleagues − including my Republican colleagues who are naturalized citizens − to condemn this.”
Mace’s legislative push lands amid a turbulent national climate surrounding immigration and citizenship status. Multiple courts are currently reviewing challenges to birthright citizenship following President Donald Trump’s February executive order. That order directed federal agencies to stop recognizing the automatic citizenship of babies born in the U.S. if neither parent is a citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
The battle comes to a head as the Supreme Court continues rolling out highly anticipated decisions for its current term, including rulings on Trump’s birthright citizenship order and separate legal fights regarding transgender athletes. Earlier this year, Trump predicted that the justices would ultimately strike down his executive order limiting automatic citizenship.
First elected in 2021 as the first Republican woman to represent South Carolina in Congress, Mace has experienced a notable political evolution. After heavily criticizing Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, she pivoted to become one of his staunchest congressional allies.
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