Nancy Mace wants to ban all naturalized politicians and judges, her rival, Ilhan Omar, has only one thing to say: ‘Good luck’

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) recently proposed an insane constitutional amendment to ban naturalized citizens from serving in Congress, becoming federal judges, or holding Senate-confirmed positions.

Mace argues that anyone holding power in the U.S. government should be a natural-born citizen, and her longtime rival, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), had a blunt response: “Good luck to her,” marking it as the latest flashpoint in their long-running feud.

According to the NY Post, Mace, who is running for governor in South Carolina, framed the amendment as a way to ensure undivided loyalty to the U.S. “The people writing America’s laws, confirming America’s judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America,” she wrote on X. “Not any other country.” 

Currently, only the president and vice president are constitutionally required to be natural-born citizens, but Mace’s proposal would extend that rule to all federal offices. Now, Mace is looking to expand that rule to all federal offices. This would impact lawmakers like Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. However Omar was calm about it in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

Mace has issues with quite a few members of the “Squad”

Mace and Omar have been at odds for years, with Mace previously attempting to subpoena Omar’s family records to investigate unproven claims that she married her brother. That effort failed, but the tension between them is clearly far from over.

Mace singled out Omar and two other Democratic colleagues in her X post. “Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress,” she wrote. “All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America.” 

Jayapal, who was born in India, fired back with a sharp rebuke, calling the proposal “racist legislation that denies the very history of a country that has been proudly shaped by immigrants.” She added, “This narrow-minded, xenophobic legislation has no place in Congress, and I call on all my colleagues—including my Republican colleagues who are naturalized citizens—to condemn this.”

Thanedar, also born in India, slammed Mace’s priorities. “Gas prices have skyrocketed, people can’t afford healthcare, and housing is through the roof,” he said in a statement. “Instead of working to solve people’s problems, Rep. Mace is making racist and xenophobic attacks against me and my colleagues. Her comments are reprehensible, but it’s clear this is what we can expect from MAGA: the party of protecting pedophiles, starting wars, and raising costs.”

There are currently 26 foreign-born members of Congress, 19 Democrats and seven Republicans, who would be directly affected by Mace’s proposal.  Jayapal, in her statement, reflected on her own naturalization ceremony, calling it “one of the most meaningful days of my life.” When she stood with everyone who became citizens with her, she called it “a profound moment, as I felt the pride of my American citizenship.”

To become part of the Constitution, the proposal would need two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification from 38 state legislatures. That’s a tall order, especially when you consider the last amendment, the 27th, was ratified in 1992.

Mace seems determined to push the issue, framing it as a matter of national loyalty. “If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,” she told Fox News Digital. “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.”

For now, the amendment’s future is uncertain. Even if it gains traction in the Republican-controlled House, it would face an uphill battle in the Senate and among state legislatures. However, the fact that it’s even being seriously discussed shows how much the conversation around immigration and national identity has shifted in recent years. 

Mace’s proposal taps into a broader debate about what it means to be an American. For naturalized citizens like Omar, Jayapal, and Thanedar, the answer is clear: they’re just as American as anyone else, and they’re not going anywhere without a fight.

The clash also underscores the deep divisions within Congress. Mace and Omar’s feud is part of a larger pattern of partisan attacks. As for the broader implications, this debate isn’t just about a handful of lawmakers. It’s about the future of representation in the U.S. government.