The Trump administration has agreed to take a financial loss in order to make it easier for Americans to walk away from their US citizenship. In April, the cost to formally renounce citizenship will plunge from $2,350 to just $450, below the actual cost to the government of processing the requests – but fulfilling a years-long promise to reverse an unpopular fee adopted in 2015. He said that since 2023, when Joe Biden’s presidential administration announced it would reduce the fee, at least 8,755 individuals had paid $2,350. “This fee reduction is a concrete first victory, but our fight to have the right to renounce recognized as a fundamental constitutional right continues,” he said. While the Trump administration is making it easier to reduce the number of US citizens abroad, it is also seeking to end the practice of birthright citizenship at home.

Source: The Guardian March 18, 2026 12:52 UTC