After a messy, public fallout last month, US President Donald Trump has threatened to have his former right-hand man, Elon Musk, deported after potentially revoking his naturalised citizenship.
The Pretoria-born billionaire boasts three citizenships – South Africa by birth, Canada by parentage, and becoming a naturalised American in 2002.
In May, Elon resigned as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) amid public backlash.
ELON MUSK: US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP THREATENS DEPORTATION
In recent weeks, Elon Musk has been posting his strong-worded opinions about President Donald Trump’s promotion of a controversial tax bill that was recently passed by the US Senate.
When asked about Elon’s X posts about the prospective legislature, Trump told reporters on Tuesday, 1 July: “We might have to put DOGE on Elon
“DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?”
Further questioned if Trump was considering deporting Musk, he responded that he would “take a look”.
Trump added that Elon Musk had a “lot more to lose”, referring to his government electric vehicle subsidies.
On his Truth Social platform, the president posted: “Elon may get more subsidies than any human being in history. By far. And without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!”
CAN IT LEGALLY BE DONE?
In a memo posted last month, the US Department of Justice vowed to prioritise the denaturalisation of citizens who posed a threat to the country.
The list of categories included individuals who had committed a host of crimes, those who had fraudulently acquired their citizenship, and those who threatened national security, particularly with regard to terrorism, espionage, and the unlawful export of technology and information.
The department also stated that they could use their discretion to pursue individual cases that they deemed necessary.
Images via X: @elonmusk/Canva
According to Muzaffar Chishti from the Migration Policy Institute, the process could become complicated. He told The Guardian: “[The administration] can’t, on their own, denaturalize people. They still have to go to a federal district court.
“Denaturalisation finally does belong to federal district courts. But they are obviously keen on finding every way they can to denaturalize people they think did not deserve to be naturalized.”
WHAT ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN AND CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP?
In February, Canadian MP Charlie Angus started a petition to have Elon Musk’s citizenship revoked.
Signed by close to 400 000 citizens, the petition stated that Elon has acted against Canada’s national interest and undermined its sovereignty. It also claims that the world’s richest man has used his wealth and power to influence their elections.
However, it’s unlikely that Elon’s citizenship will be revoked, as the Canadian legislature states that this is only the case for individuals who commit fraud or misrepresentation.
Immigration lawyer Gabriela Ramo told CBC: “Before they could move to do this, they would need to introduce legislation. There would have to be amendments to the current Citizenship Act.
“There’s no provision that would allow them to pursue revocation of citizenship of a Canadian birth, by virtue of his birth to a Canadian mother.”
In March, Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) leader Julius Malema also questioned if Elon Musk was still classified as a South African citizen. This after he accused Elon of influencing diplomatic tensions between the US and his country of birth.
However, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, in a written response, stated that divulging such information would infringe on the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.
Schreiber stated that the party was required to submit an application, including identity numbers, to obtain the information through the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
DO YOU THINK ELON MUSK WILL BE DEPORTED – AND TO WHERE?
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