Bill · S. 3318· Senate(119-S-3318)
American Citizens First Act
- Introduced
- 12/3/2025
- Last activity
- 12/3/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Tom Cotton
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The American Citizens First Act seeks to change how noncitizens interact with Federal benefits and immigration laws. It aims to end Federal public benefits for anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or national. The bill allows for the denaturalization of naturalized citizens if they participate in riots or acts that disrupt the constitutional order. It also expands the authority for expedited removal of certain individuals. Additionally, it mandates security reviews for Afghan nationals admitted or paroled into the country since January 20, 2021. Finally, it provides for the automatic termination of Temporary Protected Status under specific conditions.
Yes
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+5
The bill reduces federal spending by terminating various public benefits for non-citizens.
Does this tighten control of the border?+4
The bill expands expedited removal authority to enhance border and interior enforcement.
Would white Americans be better off under this?+2
The bill prioritizes benefits and status for citizens over non-citizens.
The opposite· 3 of 11
Would immigrants be better off under this?-9
The bill significantly restricts benefits, increases removal authority, and threatens status for various immigrant groups.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-8
The bill eliminates many forms of needs-based assistance available to non-citizen households.
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?-8
The bill makes citizenship harder to maintain through new denaturalization provisions and harder to obtain via suspended processing.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Denaturalization for maintaining order: Naturalized citizens who participate in riots, unlawful protests involving violence or property destruction, or acts intended to overthrow or disrupt the constitutional order may be denaturalized and removed (Section 3).
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Security through mandatory reviews: The Secretary of Homeland Security must conduct comprehensive security reviews, including re-interviews and biometric checks, for nationals of Afghanistan admitted or paroled into the U.S. since January 20, 2021 (Section 5).
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Security through expedited removal: Individuals found through the security review to pose a risk to national security or public safety can be subject to expedited removal (Section 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Federal benefits: Noncitizens who are not U.S. citizens or nationals will no longer be eligible for Federal public benefits, including welfare, Medicaid (except emergency services), food stamps, housing assistance, student financial aid, or certain tax credits (Section 2).
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Denaturalization risks: Naturalized citizens could face denaturalization and removal if they are convicted of, or even just credibly found by the Secretary of Homeland Security to have participated in, certain protests or acts that disrupt the constitutional order (Section 3).
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Expansion of expedited removal: The authority for expedited removal is expanded to include those present in the U.S. regardless of how long they have been there, and the Secretary is instructed not to grant discretionary exceptions unless a credible fear of persecution is upheld (Section 4).
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Suspension of Afghan processing and support: The processing of applications for special immigrant or refugee status for Afghan nationals is suspended until specific security certifications are submitted, and Federal funds for their resettlement support are also prohibited during this time (Section 5).
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Termination of Temporary Protected Status: Temporary Protected Status can automatically terminate if the Secretary finds conditions in a country no longer warrant it, or if the crime rate among those nationals exceeds the national average by at least 20 percent (Section 6).
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Retroactive status termination: The automatic termination of Temporary Protected Status applies retroactively to designations made after January 20, 2021, which includes designations for Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela, and Somalia (Section 6).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For White Americans+2Good For Immigrants-9Good For Low Income Households-8Good For Hispanic Americans-6Good For People With Disabilities-5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+4Improves Pathway To Citizenship-8Improves Affordable Housing-7Improves Poverty Reduction-7Improves Racial Equity-6
- Healthcare
- Increases Medicaid Funding-7
- Education And Technology
- Improves Student Loan Relief-6
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending+5
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Increases Foreign Aid-5
- 12/3/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate