Can dual nationals lose U.S. citizenship more easily than sole U.S. citizens?
Executive summary
Dual nationals are not automatically more likely to lose U.S. citizenship under longstanding law: U.S. policy “does not require a U.S. citizen to choose” and acquiring another nationality alone does not strip U.S. citizenship [1]. However, recent executive and enforcement moves in 2024–2025 have increased risk vectors—administration rules and DOJ denaturalization priorities seek to tighten who qualifies for and retains citizenship, and courts are actively litigating those policies [2] [3].
1. Dual nationality: the basic rule — holding another passport doesn’t by itself revoke U.S. citizenship
U.S. policy and State Department guidance say a person may be a national of two countries at the same time and that U.S. law “does not require a U.S. citizen to choose” between U.S. citizenship and another nationality; naturalizing abroad “without any risk” to U.S. citizenship is still the baseline position [1]. Legal precedent cited in commentary—most notably Afroyim v. Rusk—is invoked repeatedly in reporting to show involuntary striping of citizenship requires voluntary, intentional renunciation rather than mere acquisition of a foreign passport [4].
2. Where risk can actually arise — intent, expatriating acts, and denaturalization
Loss of U.S. citizenship can occur if a person voluntarily and intentionally performs an expatriating act (for example, formal renunciation or certain actions abroad) or if a naturalized citizen is denaturalized for fraud or criminality in the naturalization process. A Congressional Research Service update and DOJ guidance show denaturalization prosecutions were elevated as an enforcement priority in mid‑2025, increasing the government’s focus on revoking citizenship obtained by fraud or illegal means [3]. Available sources do not list every expatriating act or procedural detail beyond these summaries.
3. Policy changes and political proposals — why dual nationals feel targeted
Recent executive actions and proposed regulations in 2025 have drawn attention to dual nationality. The Trump administration issued an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” that sought to redefine who acquires citizenship at birth and introduced regulatory proposals affecting applicants with ties to other countries; courts have blocked nationwide implementation and the disputes are on appeal [2] [5]. Those actions do not say dual nationality alone strips citizenship, but they change who is treated as a U.S. national at birth and create administrative hurdles that disproportionately affect people with foreign ties [2] [5].
4. Conflicting narratives — misinformation, exaggeration, and real legal debate
Public discourse has mixed accurate points with false or exaggerated claims. Reuters documented viral falsehoods claiming a blanket presidential order ended dual citizenship, labeling them as fake [6]. At the same time, reputable legal summaries and specialists stress reforms and enforcement intensification could make certain dual nationals more exposed to scrutiny—though that is not the same as an automatic or new legal rule that dual nationals lose their U.S. citizenship merely for holding another passport [1] [7].
5. Practical consequences beyond revocation — compliance, travel, and foreign law
Even without automatic loss of U.S. citizenship, dual nationals face practical exposures: foreign countries sometimes withdraw or refuse dual nationality (examples cited in multiple guides include China and India), which can lead to loss of that other nationality or conflicts of status; and U.S. enforcement or reporting changes can increase tax, disclosure, or vetting burdens on Americans with second passports [8] [7] [9]. These are policy and practical pressures distinct from formal denaturalization but important to people assessing risk [7] [9].
6. What the sources agree on and where they diverge
Sources consistently agree the U.S. historically recognizes dual nationality and that mere acquisition of foreign citizenship does not automatically strip U.S. citizenship [1] [9]. They diverge on emphasis: government and legal‑policy documents and law‑firm analyses highlight new executive/regulatory actions and prosecutorial priorities that could increase loss‑of‑citizenship cases in specific contexts [2] [5] [3], while consumer and myth‑busting pieces stress continuity—that the U.S. still permits dual nationality and that sensational claims of mass denaturalization are false [7] [6].
7. Bottom line for dual nationals and people considering a second nationality
Holding a second nationality does not by itself make you more likely to lose U.S. citizenship under established law [1]. But intensified enforcement priorities, regulatory proposals affecting birthright and naturalization, and foreign‑law prohibitions on dual nationality together create concrete, practical risks for some individuals—especially those whose naturalization might be challenged or who hold ties to countries that forbid dual status [3] [2] [8]. Readers should consult official State Department guidance and qualified legal counsel for case‑specific advice; available sources do not provide individualized legal outcomes.