Cotton Introduces Bill to Denaturalize Convicted Felons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
March 17, 2026

Cotton Introduces Bill to Denaturalize Convicted Felons

Washington, DC - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced legislation to keep Arkansas communities safer by providing grounds to revoke citizenship from any naturalized citizen who commits a felony or supports a terrorist group. The Naturalization Accountability Act will ensure that naturalized citizens who break our nation's laws are subject to denaturalization criminal proceedings.

"American citizenship is sacred and should not be given to criminals and terrorists under false pretenses. My bill will keep Arkansans safer by subjecting felons and terrorists to denaturalization proceedings when appropriate," said Senator Cotton.

Text of the bill can be found here.

The Naturalization Accountability Act would:

• Add any felony conviction that occurred before, during, or after naturalization as grounds for revoking citizenship.
• Ensure any naturalized citizen who is a member or affiliated with a terrorist organization, at any point after receiving citizenship, is subject to having his or her citizenship revoked.
• Allow denaturalization criminal proceedings against an individual at any point after receiving citizenship.

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