Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt filed the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act that permits federal authorities to revoke citizenship from naturalized individuals committing major crimes within ten years of their naturalization ceremony.
The Republican lawmaker's proposal broadens the legal foundation for initiating denaturalization proceedings to encompass welfare fraud, aggravated felonies, and membership in terrorist organizations including criminal gangs and drug cartels.
The SCAM Act establishes a decade long period following naturalization during which federal officials face reduced barriers when seeking to nullify someone's citizenship and commence deportation actions, according to media coverage.
Schmitt referenced the welfare fraud schemes discovered in Minnesota as justification for the measure, declaring that "American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character, and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States."
Federal prosecutors examining the expanding Minnesota fraud operation have brought charges against numerous native Somali residents connected to the schemes, with investigators calculating that stolen funds potentially exceed $9 billion.
The Missouri senator continued his remarks by stating "People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship."
Anticipating constitutional challenges to the measure, the SCAM Act incorporates a fallback mechanism that reduces the enforcement window from ten years to five years if courts determine the longer timeframe violates constitutional protections.
Stephen Miller, serving as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and President Trump's Homeland Security advisor, confirmed administration support for Schmitt's proposal. "The Somali fraud scandal is one of the greatest financial scandals in American history. All Somali refugees, or any other immigrants, who have committed fraud against the United States must be immediately denaturalized and deported."
Miller praised the senator's initiative, adding "We applaud Senator Schmitt for his leadership."
The SCAM Act has been filed in the United States Senate but hearings have not yet been scheduled, according to reporting.
This legislation represents a critical first step toward restoring integrity to America's citizenship process, but far more comprehensive action remains necessary. Congress must immediately implement universal e-Verify mandates, eliminate chain migration loopholes, end birthright citizenship for illegal alien offspring, and institute a multi-decade immigration moratorium that protects American workers from wage suppression while allowing proper assimilation of existing immigrant populations.
