Matt Walsh: Strip Citizenship From Naturalized Americans Not Fluent in English

Conservative podcast host Matt Walsh called Monday for the government to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized American who cannot speak fluent English.

On The Matt Walsh Show, the Daily Wire host said any immigrant who votes with a translator or a foreign-language ballot because they don't speak English should lose their citizenship and be barred from ever getting it back. His proposal would go well beyond what federal law asks of new citizens.

"The only workable solution at this point is to strip the citizenship of any naturalized citizen who can't speak fluent English just for starters," Walsh said.

What Matt Walsh Proposed

He had just played a news segment on Arabic-language ballots in Dearborn, Michigan.

"Any immigrants who are voting with foreign language ballots or translators because they don't speak English should have their citizenship revoked immediately," he said. "They should be permanently banned from becoming citizens because they clearly lied on their citizenship applications and they are not qualified to be citizens."

Walsh did not offer evidence that any of these voters lied on their applications. That claim is his assumption, not a finding.

The proposal came out of his segment on Lewiston, Maine. The Maine Wire, a conservative outlet, obtained security footage from City Hall that it says shows interpreters linked to nonprofit groups coaching Somali voters during early voting. U.S. Attorney for Maine Andrew Benson said in a statement quoted by the outlet, "We review all evidence concerning complaints of voter intimidation and election interference, including the video from Lewiston's early voting at City Hall." No charges have been filed.

Walsh said so himself. "I'm not going to pretend that I know for a fact that election laws were even violated here," he said. Still, he argued that "this footage is proof that people who can't speak English are participating in our elections."

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline told The Wall Street Journal the city's Somali community was being targeted by political provocateurs, according to Yahoo News.

What the Law Requires

Walsh acknowledged on air that basic English is required "depending on age." The statute, 8 U.S.C. §1423(a)(1), requires applicants for naturalization to demonstrate "an understanding of the English language, including an ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage." It does not require fluency. USCIS exempts applicants who are 50 or older and have held a green card for 20 years (the "50/20" rule). It also exempts those 55 or older with 15 years as permanent residents (the "55/15" rule). Applicants with a documented medical disability can also be excused, according to the USCIS Policy Manual.

The bar for taking citizenship away is narrow. Under 8 U.S.C. §1451, the government must show in court that naturalization was "illegally procured" or obtained through "concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation." Weak English, years after a person passed the test or was legally exempted from it, is not a ground.

Voter assistance is protected as well. Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. §10508, says a voter who needs help "by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write" may be assisted "by a person of the voter's choice," other than an employer or union agent. Section 203, 52 U.S.C. §10503, requires translated election materials in places with large language-minority populations. It covers only American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Spanish-heritage voters.

Arabic speakers are not covered by Section 203. Dearborn's Arabic ballots rest on a city council measure: Dearborn is translating election materials for any group that makes up 5 percent or more of the city's population or 10,000 or more residents, according to the measure's sponsor.

What Happens Next

Walsh closed by urging Democratic voters to "vote for every Republican on the ballot without exception." He pointed to Michigan, where Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Senate on Sunday.

In Maine, Walsh showed a photo of Hannah Pingree, the Democratic nominee for governor, with people he said, citing the Maine Wire, were among the interpreters. Those claims are allegations, no wrongdoing by Pingree is alleged, and no response from her was included in the segment. In the governor's race, she leads Republican Robert B. Charles by 10.7 points in PolitiKool's polling average. It is unclear whether the Justice Department's review of the Lewiston footage will lead to action.