House · HR 7156 · 119th Congress
SCAM Act
Summary
This bill lets the government strip citizenship from naturalized Americans who commit certain crimes within 10 years of becoming citizens. It covers fraud against a government program over $10,000, joining a terrorist group, or committing serious felonies. People who lose citizenship can be quickly removed from the country.
In Favor
This bill lets courts cancel citizenship when a conviction shows it was obtained under false pretenses. If someone commits fraud over $10,000, joins a terrorist group, or commits a serious felony within 10 years, that record serves as proof they misrepresented themselves at naturalization. The bill argues citizenship was never lawfully granted in those cases.
Against
Citizenship stripped years after the fact creates serious legal risks for naturalized citizens that other Americans never face. A single conviction becomes automatic proof of past dishonesty at the time of citizenship, removing the need for a court to weigh the full facts. This treats naturalized citizens as less secure in their rights than those born here.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill aims to expand the legal grounds for the government to start civil proceedings to remove citizenship from naturalized citizens. It targets people who later commit government fraud, join terrorist groups, or commit serious crimes.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay tied to the core purpose of expanding citizenship removal grounds. They cover three specific triggers: government fraud over $10,000, joining a foreign terrorist group, and committing serious felonies or espionage within ten years of naturalization.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Naturalized citizens who meet any of the three triggering conditions face possible loss of citizenship. Federal, state, local, and tribal governments gain new legal tools, and the Attorney General receives direct authority to bring these civil cases.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill authorizes no specific dollar amount and includes no cost estimate from a budget office. It shifts new duties onto the Department of Justice to bring and manage additional civil court cases, which would require agency time and resources to carry out.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill requires courts to treat certain convictions as automatic proof that citizenship was wrongly granted, which courts may be asked to review. A fallback clause reduces the ten-year window to five years if a court strikes down the longer period.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 7/24/2026