Two Republican members of Congress are urging the Justice Department to investigate New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, questioning his path to U.S. citizenship and calling for potential denaturalization proceedings.

According to the New York Post, Representative Randy Fine of Florida and Andy Ogles of Tennessee have both written to the Justice Department requesting a probe into Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist who emigrated from Uganda as a child and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Fine has called for a sweeping review of naturalization cases dating back three decades, while Ogles accuses Mamdani of providing false statements during his application process. Ogles claims Mamdani failed to disclose political affiliations and past expressions of support for a charity allegedly linked to Hamas.

Fine told the Post that he believes federal authorities should denaturalize and deport anyone found to have obtained citizenship through deception. Ogles says Mamdani’s past writings and activism should disqualify him from holding public office. The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, declined to comment, citing its policy of not discussing ongoing or potential investigations.

Democrats have condemned the campaign as an attempt to discredit a Muslim candidate leading in the New York City mayoral race. Representative Shri Thanedar of Michigan called for Ogles to be censured, describing his remarks as a dangerous escalation that stigmatizes immigrants and Muslims.

The push to revoke Mamdani’s citizenship began over the summer, when NBC News reported that calls to strip Mamdani’s citizenship raised fears of denaturalization being used as a political weapon. That report noted that past administrations have occasionally revoked citizenship from terrorists, war criminals, or individuals who committed fraud in their applications, but rarely from elected officials or political candidates. Immigration lawyers and civil rights groups have warned that expanding such powers could target people for their beliefs or associations rather than clear violations of the law.

Although denaturalization cases are rare, the controversy around Mamdani has intensified scrutiny of how such powers could be used. That said, the effort by House Republicans has turned a New York City mayoral campaign into a flashpoint for a national debate about citizenship, belonging, and the limits of political power.

The Post said Mamdani’s team has not responded for a comment. 

The election is scheduled for November 4, 2025, and polling continues to show Mamdani maintaining his lead. Early voting is already underway, and if he prevails, he would make history as the first Muslim American to be elected mayor of New York City.