US lawmaker moves amendment to ban foreign-born congressmen, judges

A US lawmaker on Wednesday proposed a constitutional amendment that would require members of Congress, federal judges and Senate-confirmed officers of the US to be natural-born citizens.

The joint resolution, moved by Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace from California, could affect more than a dozen members of Congress, including Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal and a few Republicans as well.

''If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,'' Mace, a representative from South Carolina, said in a statement here.

''This is not complicated. The people writing America's laws, confirming America's judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America. Not Somalia. Not any other country,'' she said, in a reference to Omar, the Democrat from Minnesota known for her left-leaning views and often the target of conservatives.

The President and Vice President are already required to be natural born citizens and the amendment moved by Mace extends the requirement to Representatives, Senators, federal judges at every level, and all Senate-confirmed officers, including Ambassadors and public Ministers.

''For too long we have allowed foreign born members to hold seats in this government while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day. This amendment puts an end to it,'' Mace said.

Several foreign born lawmakers currently holding power in this government have made clear their loyalties do not lie with the American people.

''Ilhan Omar is a prime example of why this amendment is necessary. She allegedly committed marriage and immigration fraud to get her brother into this country, is tied to millions in a Somali fraud case in her own state, and has made comments publicly about how she is ''Somalia first.''.

''Ilhan Omar is just one of many foreign born members of this government who have made clear, time and again, their loyalty is not here,'' added Mace.

''The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing,'' she said.

There are 19 foreign-born members of Congress, though some are natural-born citizens due to having at least one parent who is a US citizen.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)