Don’t Require Passports Or Citizenship Papers For Routine Banking

CONGRESS MUST BLOCK ANY EXECUTIVE MOVE THAT FORCES CITIZENSHIP CHECKS IN BANKING As a constituent, I urge you to oppose and work against the reported proposal to require banks to collect or verify customers’ citizenship status. Press reports indicate the administration is considering executive or Treasury action that could require financial institutions to request citizenship documentation - potentially including passports - from both new and existing account holders. If implemented, this policy could disrupt access to everyday banking services nationwide, potentially affecting access to routine banking for millions of Americans, and would significantly expand federal requirements governing routine financial transactions. THIS POLICY COULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO BASIC FINANCIAL SERVICES Press reporting notes that many Americans do not possess passports. If citizenship documents become a practical requirement for opening or maintaining accounts, lawful customers could face delays, account disruptions, or barriers to accessing wages and benefit payments. Experts warn that restricting banking access can push affected individuals toward higher-cost or less regulated financial alternatives, increasing financial vulnerability and exposure to predatory fees. THE PROPOSAL WOULD CREATE MAJOR OPERATIONAL AND ECONOMIC BURDENS Financial institutions already comply with Customer Identification Program requirements that verify identity to prevent fraud and money laundering. These rules do not generally require citizenship status verification. Banks and industry experts have warned that extending requirements to include citizenship documentation - particularly for existing customers - could create substantial compliance burdens, legal uncertainty, service delays, and increased costs that may ultimately be passed on to consumers. MANDATED COLLECTION OF CITIZENSHIP DOCUMENTATION RAISES PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY RISKS Requiring financial institutions to collect and store additional sensitive identity documentation would significantly expand the volume of personal data held by private institutions. Large-scale centralized storage of citizenship documentation creates an attractive target for cybercriminals and heightens the risk of identity theft, data breaches, and secondary uses of sensitive personal information. CONGRESS MUST EXERCISE IMMEDIATE OVERSIGHT AND PROTECT FAIR ACCESS TO BANKING Because this policy could be implemented through executive or regulatory action, timely Congressional oversight is essential. Congress has a responsibility to ensure major regulatory changes occur through clear statutory authority and appropriate oversight. I urge you to: (1) Publicly oppose any executive order or regulatory action requiring banks to collect or verify citizenship status for routine accounts. (2) Conduct oversight hearings examining legal authority, implementation feasibility, and risks of wrongful account disruption. (3) Support legislation ensuring lawful residents retain fair access to essential banking services. (4) Require strict limits on any new customer-status data collection, including safeguards on retention and sharing. Immediate oversight is essential to protect financial access, privacy, economic stability, and regulatory clarity.