Sen. Schmitt Cites Recent Attacks to Renew Push for Expanded Denaturalization Bill
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is renewing his push for the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act, legislation to broaden the federal government’s ability to denaturalize and deport people who committed fraud in obtaining citizenship, commit certain serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations. In a post on X on Thursday, Schmitt tied his bill directly to three recent violent incidents involving naturalized citizens: the truck-ramming and rifle attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan; the Old Dominion University classroom shooting in Norfolk, Virginia; and a bar shooting in Austin, Texas, that left three dead. The article reports that DHS says Temple Israel suspect Ayman Mohamad Ghazali arrived in the U.S. 15 years ago as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and naturalized in 2016, while Old Dominion shooter Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is a naturalized citizen and former National Guard member previously convicted of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Schmitt is also linking his SCAM Act to Trump’s SAVE America Act voting bill, arguing that after tightening voter ID and proof-of-citizenship rules, Congress should next "denaturalize & deport those who are here to hurt Americans"—a framing critics online are already warning risks stigmatizing millions of law‑abiding naturalized citizens based on a handful of high‑profile crimes.
📌 Key Facts
- Sen. Eric Schmitt is pushing the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act to expand denaturalization grounds for fraud, serious felonies and joining terrorist organizations.
- Schmitt’s renewed push comes immediately after three recent violent attacks by naturalized citizens in Michigan, Virginia (Old Dominion University) and Texas (Austin bar shooting).
- DHS says Temple Israel suspect Ayman Mohamad Ghazali arrived on an immediate relative visa and became a U.S. citizen in 2016; Old Dominion shooter Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is a naturalized citizen and former National Guard member with a prior ISIS-support conviction.
📊 Relevant Data
The current grounds for denaturalization in the US include procurement of naturalization illegally, by concealment of a material fact, or by willful misrepresentation, as well as membership in subversive organizations within five years of naturalization.
Chapter 2 - Grounds for Revocation of Naturalization — USCIS
Recidivism rates for individuals convicted of federal terrorism-related offenses in the US are approximately 3.1 percent, with reoffenses often being minor violations rather than new terrorist acts.
Risk and Rehabilitation: Supporting the Work of Probation Officers in the Supervision of Offenders Convicted of Extremist or Terror-Related Offenses — National Institute of Justice
From 1975 to 2024, foreign-born terrorists committed attacks resulting in 3,105 murders on US soil, with an annual chance of an American being killed by a foreign-born terrorist of 1 in 3.8 million, compared to higher risks from native-born perpetrators in domestic terrorism incidents.
Terrorism and Immigration: 50 Years of Foreign-Born Terrorism on US Soil, 1975–2024 — Cato Institute
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminated national-origin quotas favoring Europeans, leading to increased immigration from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with the foreign-born population rising from 9.6 million in 1970 to 45 million in 2015, and immigrants from these regions comprising a larger share of naturalizations.
Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S., Driving Population Growth and Change Through 2065 — Pew Research Center
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time