SCAM Act
Sponsored By: Representative Emmer
Introduced
Summary
Broadly expands grounds to strip naturalized citizenship. This bill would create explicit prima facie denaturalization categories for membership in a foreign terrorist organization, defrauding a government of $10,000 or more, and committing an aggravated felony or espionage within a 10-year lookback.
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- Naturalized citizens and their families: Citizenship could be revoked and the certificate canceled retroactive to the original naturalization date, and the person could be made removable under expedited immigration proceedings.
- Federal prosecutors and the Department of Justice: It adds the phrase "the Attorney General or" to clarify who has the duty to pursue denaturalization and creates statutory prima facie categories prosecutors can rely on.
- Immigration courts and enforcement: The bill sets a 10-year lookback for the new grounds and includes a fallback that treats the period as 5 years if a final court decision finds the 10-year period unconstitutional.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
New denaturalization rules for naturalized citizens
If enacted, the bill would create new prima facie grounds to revoke naturalized citizenship for conduct that began or occurred within 10 years after naturalization. It would treat as sufficient evidence that you lacked required good moral character: (1) association with a foreign terrorist organization as designated under 8 U.S.C. 1189(a); (2) defrauding a federal, state, local, or tribal government of $10,000 or more, including public-benefit fraud; or (3) committing certain aggravated felonies or specified espionage offenses listed in federal law. The order admitting you as a citizen would be revoked, and your certificate of naturalization would be canceled, effective as of the original issuance date and treated as void from issuance. After cancellation, you would be removable through the expedited proceedings in INA section 238, regardless of any later immigration status or how long it has been since naturalization.
Five-year denaturalization fallback for naturalized citizens
If enacted, the bill would say that if a final court holds the 10-year denaturalization window unconstitutional, the period must be treated as five years. In that case, denaturalization would be limited to acts that began or occurred within five years after naturalization. This change would apply only after a final judicial decision and would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Emmer
MN • R
Cosponsors
Stauber
MN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Fischbach
MN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Finstad
MN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Gooden
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Nehls
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Roy
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Alford
MO • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Mace
SC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Baird
IN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
McGuire
VA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Weber (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Donalds
FL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Rogers (AL)
AL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Gill (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Palmer
AL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Van Duyne
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Carter (GA)
GA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Gosar
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Kennedy (UT)
UT • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Guest
MS • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Moore (AL)
AL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Bean (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Hunt
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Patronis
FL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Jack
GA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Moore (NC)
NC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Rose
TN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Self
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Crane
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Bost
IL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Norman
SC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Shreve
IN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Luna
FL • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Timmons
SC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
McDowell
NC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Jackson (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Collins
GA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Goldman (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Williams (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Wilson (SC)
SC • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Scott, Austin
GA • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Burchett
TN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Strong
AL • R
Sponsored 2/3/2026
Letlow
LA • R
Sponsored 2/4/2026
Harris (NC)
NC • R
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Grothman
WI • R
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Biggs (SC)
SC • R
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Miller (IL)
IL • R
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Kiggans (VA)
VA • R
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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