The most radical Islamophobia and political intolerance have converged in a legislative proposal presented this Monday at the Capitol. Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy brought a bill to the Lower House that would allow the deportation, denaturalization, and denial of citizenship or entry to any migrant or non-citizen who is affiliated with or advocates for communism, socialism, or Islamic fundamentalism.
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The norm, which would radically modify US immigration legislation contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act, has been dubbed (MAMDANI Act). It is no coincidence that the acronym for the law in English is Mamdani, in reference to Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York. Born in Uganda in 1991, Mamdani moved to New York with his family at the age of seven and in 2018 became a naturalized US citizen, is Muslim, and is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America party. With the proposed norm, Mamdani could face deportation. Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, and Rashida Tlaib, of Michigan, are also members of the party.
Roy is an ally of Donald Trump, belongs to the extremist MAGA movement (acronym for Make America Great Again) and is the leader of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. “Why do we keep importing people who hate us? Not just over the last six years, but over the last sixty, our immigration system has been cynically used to harm the competitiveness of American workers in favor of massive Third World importation. This has not only led to an increase in crime and a reduction in wages, but also to the spread of hostile ideologies fundamentally opposed to American values,” he stated in a press release.
“This legislation deploys new tools to counter the Marxist and Islamist advance that has devastated Europe and has now reached our own doors, especially in my home state of Texas,” he added.
The text of the norm recalls the purest style of McCarthyism, the aggressive anti-communist campaign led by the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, which was characterized by unfounded accusations of treason and led to a witch hunt against alleged communist sympathizers.
“Any alien who advocates or has advocated, or who is or has been affiliated with any organization that advocates or has advocated the economic, international, or governmental doctrines of socialism, communism, Chinese communism, Marxism, or Islamic fundamentalism, are inadmissible,” says the text of the proposed bill. It also contemplates that any migrant who “advocates” for these ideologies can be deported; a broad term that includes “writing, distributing, circulating, printing, displaying, possessing, or publishing any written, electronic, or printed material” in support thereof, according to the text.
In addition, the bill includes that the Mamdani law will be definitive and cannot be reviewed by any court, meaning that deportations or revocations of citizenship will not be allowed to be challenged. The exception is limited to migrants who can demonstrate that their advocacy for any of the listed ideologies took place before they turned 14.
As for those considered part of an “Islamic fundamentalist party,” the bill includes in this category the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State, the Al-Nour Party, Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab. According to data from the Pew Research Center, in 2017 there were 3.45 million Muslims in the United States.
Roy is not seeking re-election to Congress. Instead, he faces a tight runoff in May in the Republican primary for Texas Attorney General. In his campaign, he has intensified attacks against the Muslim community. According to an analysis by The Washington Post, Roy has published — from both his campaign and official accounts — more than 244 statements about Muslims, Islam, or Sharia law since January, the highest number among all members of Congress. In October, he introduced the Sharia-Free America Act, which would prevent foreign nationals who observe Islamic law from entering or remaining in the United States. Stopping “the Islamist surge” into Texas would be Roy’s “fundamental mission” as attorney general, he told the Post in an interview.
The White House and Islamophobia
Islamophobia has increased in the United States since Trump returned to the White House. The Republican has sanctioned schools and deported students for their participation in pro-Palestinian protests and activities. In addition, he has made statements against Muslim-majority groups residing in the United States, including Somalis and Afghans. Anti-Muslim rhetoric has gained strength with the Republican’s current war against Iran.
According to a report published in March by CAIR, the organization dedicated to protecting civil liberties, improving understanding of Islam, and empowering Muslims in the United States, complaints of discrimination and intolerance set a record in 2025 for the third consecutive year “as public officials abuse their positions to restrict definitions of how Americans can look, what they can say, or what they can believe.”
