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LUSUS Newsletter
The Online Newsletter of PALCUS
Special Edition - December 9, 2025

🚨Community Alert: Proposed Senate Bill
Threatens Dual Citizenship🚨
Dear PALCUS Members, Friends, and the Portuguese-American Community,
We are writing to bring urgent attention to a newly introduced Senate bill that—if passed—would significantly and adversely impact thousands of Portuguese-Americans and other dual citizens across the United States.
A proposed Senate bill titled the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” would make dual citizenship illegal for U.S. citizens. Under this legislation, individuals who currently hold dual citizenship would be forced to choose either their U.S. citizenship or their foreign citizenship within one year. Failure to comply would result in being deemed to have voluntarily relinquished U.S. citizenship.
🔍 What the Bill Says
According to the text of the bill:
- “An individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously possessing any foreign citizenship.”
- Current dual citizens would have one year from enactment to renounce their foreign citizenship OR renounce their U.S. citizenship.
- Those who do not comply within the timeframe would be automatically considered to have relinquished their U.S. citizenship under existing immigration law.
- Anyone who acquires foreign citizenship after enactment would automatically lose U.S. citizenship.
If passed, this legislation would dramatically alter long-standing U.S. policy, which currently allows dual citizenship under most circumstances. It would place significant strain on families, businesses, cultural organizations, and all who maintain strong ties to their heritage and their country of origin.
Many in our Portuguese-American community—including numerous PALCUS members—would be directly and negatively affected.
Why This Matters to Our Community
Dual citizenship is an essential aspect of identity and heritage for millions of immigrants and their descendants in the United States. For Portuguese-Americans, it supports:
- Family unity and ease of travel
- Property inheritance and financial/legal continuity
- Cultural, linguistic, and educational ties
- Participation in Portuguese civic life
- Preservation of our shared heritage
The proposed bill would force Portuguese-Americans to give up part of their identity—and many would be forced into an impossible choice.
PALCUS is monitoring this issue closely at the federal level, and we are preparing to engage lawmakers, partner organizations, and community leaders to ensure our voices are heard.
đź“Ł What You Can Do Right Now
Your elected representatives need to hear from you.
Legislators respond when their constituents speak—loudly and in large numbers.
1. Contact Your Two U.S. Senators and Your U.S. Representative
Tell them you oppose the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” and urge them to vote against it. We have included an email template at the bottom of this newsletter.
You can find your representatives here:
👉 https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
2. Share This Information Widely
Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members, community groups, and organizations. Many people have not yet heard about this proposal and must be informed.
3. Encourage Others to Speak Out
A collective response from the Portuguese-American community—and all dual-national communities—is essential to stopping this bill.
🛑 PALCUS' Position
PALCUS stands firmly against any legislation that would strip Americans of their dual citizenship rights or force individuals to choose between their American identity and their heritage.
We are currently evaluating the full legislative implications and will continue to update the community as this situation develops.
If you have questions, concerns, or wish to support our advocacy efforts, please reply to this message or contact us at palcus@palcus.org.
Together, we can ensure that the rights and identities of Portuguese-Americans are protected.
Thank you for standing with our community.
Sincerely,
The PALCUS Team
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