Camilla Jessen
MAGA senator’s citizenship bill puts spotlight on Melania and Barron Trump.
A new immigration proposal from Senator Bernie Moreno has drawn unexpected attention to two high-profile dual citizens in the White House.
The Republican lawmaker’s plan to eliminate dual citizenship aligns with Donald Trump’s stance on immigration but would also apply to Melania and Barron Trump, who hold both U.S. and Slovenian citizenship.
Moreno outlined the measure during an interview with Fox News.
A stricter standard
Moreno was born in Colombia and later renounced his Colombian citizenship. He said becoming a U.S. citizen at 18 was “one of the greatest honors” of his life.
He added that citizenship should be “all or nothing,” arguing that Americans should not divide loyalty between two nations.
Under current law, U.S. citizens may hold multiple nationalities without penalty. Moreno’s legislation — the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 — would reverse that framework.
How the bill would work
According to the proposal, Americans with dual citizenship would have one year to choose which nationality to keep.
Those who fail to renounce their foreign citizenship or their U.S. citizenship within that window would automatically lose their American status.
The bill is part of the broader immigration agenda championed by Donald Trump.
But it would also affect members of Trump’s own family, including his wife and youngest son.
Melania and Barron in focus
Melania Trump, the first naturalized first lady, became a U.S. citizen in 2006 through an EB-1 visa. She also retains Slovenian citizenship, a connection she maintained throughout her time in the White House.
Her mother, Amalija, who passed away last year, moved to the United States to help raise Barron. Melania recently recalled their “incredible bond,” saying her mother’s life refocused entirely around her grandson.
Barron also holds dual citizenship and grew up speaking Slovenian with a noticeable accent when he was younger.
His continued ties to his mother’s home country mean Moreno’s bill would apply to him as well.
Sources: Fox News, Newsner
