Ilhan Omar ally says ‘racist’ Nancy Mace ignored foreign-born Republicans in America citizenship bill

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Delia Ramirez (D-IL) sharply attacked Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) after the South Carolina Republican introduced a bill barring naturalized citizens from holding elected office, with Ramirez calling Mace a “racist, unstable individual who should not be taken seriously” and accusing her of targeting immigrants while campaigning for governor.

Mace unveiled the proposal Wednesday, May 20, and later defended it in a post on X, writing, “If you were not born in America, you should not hold power in our government. End of story.”

The legislation quickly triggered backlash from Democrats, including Ramirez, a close political ally of Rep Ilhan Omar.

Delia Ramirez blasts Nancy Mace immigration bill

“Nancy Mace is a racist, unstable individual who should not be taken seriously,” Ramirez said, as per the source. “I find it fascinating that she is coming after members on the Democratic side, and I think she forgot that she has a number of Republicans who were also not born here.”

Ramirez also pointed to Cuban-born Republican Rep Carlos Gimenez as an example while questioning how GOP lawmakers would respond to the proposal.

“I would be interested to know what Gimenez and others think about it,” she added.

The exchange marked a rapid escalation from a policy disagreement into a personal political clash, with Ramirez directly accusing Mace of using immigration-related rhetoric for attention during her gubernatorial campaign.

Nancy Mace defends naturalized citizens office ban

Mace framed the legislation as a matter of government leadership and national identity. In her X post defending the bill, she wrote: “If you were not born in America, you should not hold power in our government. End of story.”

Under current rules, naturalized citizens cannot run for president, but they are allowed to seek most other offices if they meet citizenship requirements. The supplied material noted that anyone who has been a US citizen for more than nine years is eligible to run for the Senate.

Ramirez suggested Mace’s focus on Democrats overlooked the fact that some Republicans serving in Congress were also born outside the United States.

Nancy Mace governor campaign fuels controversy

The controversy comes as Mace campaigns in what the supplied material described as a crowded Republican primary for governor of South Carolina. 

The same material noted that some loyalists of President Donald Trump have viewed Mace as “an unreliable loose cannon on some issues,” adding another layer of political tension around the debate.

While Ramirez and Ilhan Omar have worked closely together politically, the criticism in this case centered squarely on Mace’s proposal and its implications for naturalized citizens already serving in elected office.

The clash also underscored how immigration-related proposals continue to fuel deeply personal confrontations on Capitol Hill, particularly when lawmakers accuse opponents of targeting immigrant communities for political gain.