Two American families have taken Italy's new citizenship law to the country's highest court, arguing that the restrictions imposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government should only apply to those born after the law took effect. The case, heard on Tuesday at the Cassation Court in Rome, could open the door to citizenship for millions of Italian descendants living in the United States and Latin America.
Lawyer Marco Mellone representing the families told the court that the March 2025 decree, which limits citizenship by descent to those with an Italian parent or grandparent, should not apply retroactively. Italy's constitutional court upheld the law last month, but the Cassation Court has the power to clarify its scope. A ruling from an expanded panel is expected within weeks.
The families trace their ancestry to Italians who emigrated in the late 19th century, among some 14 million who left between 1877 and 1914. One of Mellone's clients, Karen Bonadio, brought photographs of herself as a child with her Italian-born great-grandparents, insisting the new law unfairly disregarded deep family ties.
Jennifer Daley, whose case has been pending for nearly a decade, said her Italian identity transcends the anglicised surname imposed by U.S. immigration officials. 'It is truly a recognition of who I am... it's so much more than citizenship,' said Daley, a historian from Kansas. Outside the courthouse, Alexis Traino, who lives in Florence, expressed her desire to contribute to Italy as a citizen.
The challenge also addresses cases where Italian emigrants naturalised in another country before having children, a factor that some lower courts used to deny citizenship even before the new law. Another lawyer represented Italian descendants from Venezuela in a separate but related case.
