Republican Rep. Andy Ogles is calling for the denaturalization and deportation of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist assemblymember running for New York City mayor, citing old rap lyrics and accusations of antisemitism, socialism, and alleged terrorist sympathies—a move that could be pursued under federal law.
Ogles’ bold demand has legal precedent under 8 U.S.C. § 1451 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1451), the federal denaturalization statute that allows the government to revoke citizenship when it was “illegally procured” or “procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.” The Department of Justice has created a dedicated Denaturalization Section that has successfully stripped citizenship from terrorists, war criminals, and other national security threats, winning 95 percent of their cases.
Under federal law, denaturalization cases have no statute of limitations, and the government can pursue revocation at any time if they discover that citizenship was obtained through fraud or concealment. The law specifically allows denaturalization if an individual “is or becomes a member or affiliated with the Communist Party, another totalitarian party, or a terrorist organization within ten years immediately preceding the filing of the naturalization application or the five years immediately following naturalization.”
The Tennessee congressman’s call puts a spotlight on whether Mamdani’s radical background—including his open embrace of socialism and anti-American rhetoric—constitutes grounds for citizenship revocation under existing federal statutes. Courts have established that affiliation with certain political parties or organizations can preclude naturalization because it shows the individual is not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Mamdani, a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has built his political career on attacking capitalism, supporting anti-Israel positions, and promoting policies that fundamentally contradict American constitutional principles. His campaign’s focus on “economic equality and social justice” represents the kind of socialist ideology that federal law considers incompatible with genuine allegiance to the United States.
The rap lyric controversy adds another layer to concerns about Mamdani’s fitness for citizenship. Federal law requires that naturalization applicants demonstrate “good moral character,” and any concealment or misrepresentation of material facts during the citizenship process can be grounds for denaturalization.
While the denaturalization process requires the government to prove their case with “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence,” the Justice Department’s specialized section has the resources and legal framework to pursue such cases against individuals who obtained citizenship under false pretenses.
Ogles’ denaturalization call, while facing significant legal hurdles, highlights a legitimate question about whether naturalized citizens who demonstrate ongoing hostility toward American values should continue enjoying the privileges of citizenship while actively working to undermine constitutional principles.
The fact that a sitting congressman is invoking federal denaturalization law against a mayoral candidate shows just how far outside the American mainstream Mamdani’s socialist positions have become. Whether or not the legal process succeeds, it puts Mamdani’s extremist record front and center in a race that will determine whether America’s largest city continues its radical spiral or finds a path back to constitutional governance.
