10/21/2026
Lately, I’ve seen a lot of folks saying they are more Texan than other people. My ancestors go back to the first boats from England, but I’m not over here claiming to be more American than anybody else.
If you are a resident of Texas, congratulations. You are a Texan. And if you are an American citizen, you are an American citizen. But make no mistake about it, this administration wants to change that.
Roughly one in every 10 eligible voters is a naturalized American citizen. They came here, took the oath and became Americans. Their citizenship should never be treated as second class.
But last year, our Department of Homeland Security posted “The stakes have never been higher, and the goal has never been more clear: Remigration now.” People need to understand what that means. In far-right politics, “remigration” means pushing out people deemed not to belong, including legal immigrants and even citizens.
The idea has an ugly history. In 1940, N**i officials developed the Madagascar Plan to forcibly deport Europe’s Jews. That plan never happened. What followed was the “Final Solution”: systematic mass murder. The persecution began long before the gas chambers.
Today, far-right movements in the US have been promoting mass expulsion under the banner of “remigration.” And now our own government is promoting that slogan. Even worse, this administration has set quotas for denaturalization referrals. Immigration officials were reportedly directed to refer 100–200 cases EVERY MONTH to the Justice Department for fiscal year 2026. The purpose of these cases is to strip naturalized Americans of their citizenship.
And Keith Self has brought denaturalization into his anti-Sharia campaign. While discussing that agenda, Self said “a naturalized citizen can be denaturalized under certain criteria.” He acknowledged those criteria are narrow, then suggested they apply to the discussion.
Self cosponsored H.R. 5722, which would require deporting noncitizens whom administration officials determine adhere to Sharia law. That includes people here legally. Here’s the problem: “adhering to Sharia law” means different things to different people. The bill does not require them to have committed a crime or tried to impose their beliefs on anyone. It does not distinguish practicing their faith from trying to replace American law. And it would put those determinations in the hands of political appointees. It even attempts to block courts from reviewing them.
Self’s anti-Sharia caucus has drawn dozens of legislators into this effort. Our tax dollars pay their salaries. They should be working to lower our bills, improve healthcare and fix our roads. Instead, they’re spending their time finding ways to marginalize a religious group.
If the government can do it to one religious group, it can do it to yours. What happened to “come here legally”? What happened to religious freedom?
America is a nation of laws. If someone obtained citizenship through fraud, prove it in court. Religious belief is not evidence of fraud, and citizenship should never become a numbers game to satisfy a political agenda.
The Constitution is already the supreme law of the land. That includes its protection of religious freedom. Your birthplace, your last name and your religion do not make you less American. Citizenship is not conditional on whether Donald Trump or Keith Self approves of your faith, your politics, or your country of origin.
I served this country for 20 years to defend all Americans. Creating a second class of citizenship is totally un-American. And totally authoritarian.
This wave of anti-immigrant hate was never about what was best for this country.
It was always about power.
