Special to IFN

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Pat Harrigan and Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday introduced the Expatriate Terrorists Act of 2026, legislation to ensure that individuals who become U.S. citizens and then commit or support terrorism can be stripped of their citizenship and removed from the United States.

In just the past few weeks, terrorist attacks in Texas, New York, Virginia, and Michigan have been tied to individuals who gained access to this country through the immigration system.

“Current law makes it nearly impossible to strip citizenship from individuals who turn around and support or commit terrorism. That is unacceptable,” said  Harrigan, a Republican who represents North Carolina’s 10th District. “The Expatriate Terrorists Act fixes that by expanding the grounds for denaturalization, eliminating the intent requirement, and mandating immediate detention and deportation once citizenship is revoked.

“If you come to this country, take the oath, and then side with terrorists, you have forfeited your right to be here,” he added.

The Expatriate Terrorists Act establishes that individuals who commit, attempt to commit, or materially support terrorism, or who join or assist designated foreign terrorist organizations, can be denaturalized and treated as deportable. It creates a presumption of deportability for convicted terrorists, allows removal proceedings to move forward alongside denaturalization, and requires courts to prioritize these cases.

The legislation also mandates detention for individuals subject to removal on terrorism grounds, ensuring they are not released back into American communities while their cases are pending.