A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that will strip naturalized citizens of their citizenship if they commit a felony or commit fraud against the government within 10 years of becoming a naturalized citizen.
On the 21st, Republican Representative Tom Emmer (Minnesota) introduced the “Suppressing Abuse and Misrepresentation of Citizenship Act (SCAM Act)” and emphasized the need for a strong response to large-scale welfare and subsidy fraud cases.
According to the bill, if a naturalized citizen is convicted of a crime of government fraud, an aggravated felony, or espionage within 10 years of becoming a naturalized citizen, the citizenship could be revoked and they could be deported.
In a statement, Rep. Emmer argued, “People who commit taxpayer fraud, have ties to terrorist organizations, are convicted of felonies, or have engaged in espionage are not eligible to retain their citizenship. This bill seeks to hold accountable those who have committed fraud in Minnesota while also restoring trust in our naturalization system.”
Under current law, deprivation of citizenship is limited to limited grounds, such as illegal acquisition, concealment or false statements of material facts, and membership in the Communist Party, totalitarian political parties, or terrorist organizations within five years of naturalization. Rep. Emmer recently sparked controversy by publicly calling for the deprivation and deportation of naturalized citizens in connection with allegations of large-scale fraud centered around childcare facilities in Minnesota.