Hamadeh’s Bill Seeks to Expose Dual Citizenship in U.S. Census

Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh has introduced legislation that would add a question about dual citizenship to the decennial U.S. Census.

The bill, Make Allegiances Clear Again Act (MACA Act), aims to shed light on what Hamadeh describes as a hidden national security risk: divided loyalties among U.S. citizens who also hold citizenship in foreign countries.

In a press release, Congressman Hamadeh stated:

“As one of my staff members said the other day, ‘sometimes we must make hard choices in life,’ being American first and only shouldn’t be difficult. “It is an honor to be an American citizen and should be treated as such. No other country compares, and no other country should be competing for a U.S. citizen’s loyalty. The American people deserve clarity on divided allegiances—especially at a time when global threats are growing. We are simply asking for honesty.”

The census, conducted every ten years, determines congressional apportionment, electoral college votes, and the distribution of billions in federal funding. Currently, it counts all residents—regardless of citizenship status—without distinguishing those who hold allegiance to another nation. Hamadeh argues this oversight creates a blind spot that foreign actors could exploit.

“You cannot fix a breach in national security if you refuse to look at it,” Hamadeh told The Center Square. “The MACA Act ends what seems to be our willful ignorance and finally treats sovereignty as a serious question. Once we know the full scope of the problem, we can close loopholes that allow malign foreign actors to influence our domestic policy.”

Under current U.S. Department of State policy, Americans may acquire foreign citizenship without automatically losing their U.S. status. Hamadeh, however, insists that no other nation should rival the United States for a citizen’s primary loyalty.

“Citizenship is a covenant, not a travel convenience,” Hamadeh noted, and added: “We have Americans who pledge allegiance to the United States on Tuesday and vote in a foreign election on Wednesday. That is fundamentally incompatible with a sovereign republic.”

The Arizona congressman, who began his term in January 2025, argues that the census currently lumps together “illegal aliens, guest workers, dual nationals and loyal American citizens into the same generic population buckets.” This, he contends, distorts representation and funding decisions.

Hamadeh continued, “Americans need to know if they are sending billions in federal tax dollars to subsidize enclaves where the majority of the population holds allegiance to a foreign flag.” If data reveals certain congressional districts functioning as “effectively outposts for other nations,” taxpayers “have the right to adjust their checkbooks accordingly.”

The MACA Act arrives alongside a more aggressive proposal from U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Moreno’s Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 would outright prohibit dual citizenship, requiring Americans to renounce any foreign nationality. Moreno, an immigrant from Colombia who became a U.S. citizen at age 18, called naturalization “one of the greatest honors” of his life and described American citizenship as “an honor and a privilege.”

“If you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing,” Moreno stated. “It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

Hamadeh praised the synergy between the two measures. His bill, he said, “works naturally alongside” Moreno’s legislation. “We are done with the era where American citizenship is treated as an insurance policy by people whose hearts belong to another country,” Hamadeh added. “It is all or nothing.”

On potential and expected legal challenges, Hamadeh expressed confidence. “The Constitution is crystal clear: Congress has the absolute authority under Article I to direct the census,” he said. “I am on firm legal ground.” Should courts intervene, he welcomed the confrontation, predicting victory against any attempt to “legislate from the bench.”