By U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Democrat from Illinois, has ignited a political firestorm after telling a gathering of foreign Latinos in Mexico, “I’m a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American,” a statement that has drawn sharp rebukes from immigration watchdogs and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Immigration Accountability Project flagged Ramirez’s remark as troubling, posting, “Wow. I wonder how @repdeliaramirez’s constituents in Illinois feel about her loyalty being to Guatemala rather than to them,” writes Breitbart. The comment has raised questions about the congresswoman’s national allegiance, particularly as immigration remains a central issue in her legislative agenda.
Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez at a summit in Mexico City this weekend tells the audience while speaking in Spanish: "I'm a proud Guatemalan before I'm an American." pic.twitter.com/ctJs5QhFLh
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 4, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the naturalization process, responded indirectly by reaffirming that loyalty to the United States is a core tenet of citizenship—quoting former President Theodore Roosevelt’s warnings against divided allegiances. DHS emphasized the oath all naturalized citizens must take, pledging to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The department also noted its authority to revoke citizenship obtained under false pretenses.
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism…Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.”
– Theodore Roosevelt https://t.co/Jki0zCAiHG
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 4, 2025
Ramirez, who was born in Chicago to Guatemalan parents who entered the U.S. illegally, was not subject to the naturalization oath. Still, as a sitting member of Congress, she swore a formal Oath of Office to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” and to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the same.
Critics contend Ramirez’s loyalties are shaped more by personal history than civic duty. In a 2023 interview with CNN, she said, “I am the wife of a DACA recipient. I am the daughter of Guatemalan working immigrants. I know firs
The congresswoman represents Illinois’ 3rd District, where nearly half the population is Hispanic—including many undocumented immigrants. As a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Ramirez has made immigration a cornerstone of her platform, often challenging enforcement efforts she views as discriminatory or unconstitutional.
The Daily Caller has noted that Ramirez is a radical when it comes to illegal immigration. She recently called for the defunding of ICE and other border agencies and has “put forth several bills to protect illegal immigrants from deportation and give them access to legal help to aid in their breaking of U.S. immigration laws. Her work is not to promote the safety and well-being of U.S. citizens; it’s to aid the foreign invasion at our borders.”
She has often traveled to Guatemala and other Central and South American countries on the dime of billionaire leftwingers.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, who said she is more proud to be Guatemalan than American during a junket to Mexico, took *5* sponsored junkets last year to Guatemala (twice), Panama, Colombia, Honduras.
Soros's Open Society sponsored one trip pic.twitter.com/8jUXfKEYBC
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) August 5, 2025
Democrats have long viewed illegal immigrants as “the Americans they care about,” in the words of one liberal senator.
Ramirez’s latest comments from abroad have renewed broader questions about the nature of public service for Democrats, along with how they understand national identity and the expectations of elected officials.
[Read More: Sick Acosta Interview Has Some Saying He Crossed An Ethical Line]
