Italian Americans seek dual citizenship to flee Trump's America
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Dawn Hiltner's Italian great-grandmother once sacrificed everything to reach America. Now the South Philly elementary teacher is considering a journey back over the Atlantic for a better life.
Why it matters: The 59-year-old educator is part of a growing wave of people pursuing Italian dual citizenship to flee what they view as a toxic political climate under the Trump administration.
State of play: Hiltner hired PortaleItaly to help her claim Italian citizenship, giving herself the option of resettling there in the coming years.
- It's one of many companies assisting Americans through the multistep legal process of relocating abroad, a business that PortaleItaly CEO Jim Esposito says has seen a boon since President Trump took office.
- Esposito tells Axios they're calling the recent surge in interest to relocate abroad the "Trump bump." The Italian-based business has seen inquiries more than double since Trump was elected for a second term.
What they're saying: "Not everyone that calls us is freaking out, like they're trying to get out of Nazi Germany in the '30s," Esposito says. "But some of them are, and it's really palpable."
- For Hiltner, it's the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and anti-immigrant rhetoric that she says have "terrified" some families of her students.
"I never want anyone to be embarrassed about where they came from," says Hiltner, who teaches kindergarten and first grade at the Eliza B. Kirkbride School.
- Many of Hiltner's students are children of immigrants, learning English as a second language. "That was our families, not that long ago," she says.
Between the lines: Axios spoke to several people working with PortaleItaly to obtain dual citizenship, and most cited politics as their primary driver.
- But some also hope to reconnect with their ancestral roots, access Italy's universal health care and enjoy the slower-paced lifestyle, which they say is better suited for work-life balance.
- While acknowledging Italy's far-right leadership, some of them say politics isn't as interwoven into Italian culture as it is in the U.S.
By the numbers: PortaleItaly, co-founded by Italian lawyer Gianni Dell-Aiuto, has handled about 300 dual citizenship cases, the vast majority for Americans, since it started in 2020. It has since added two U.S. locations.
- Esposito says the company has had to hire double the number of intake specialists to keep up with demand. PortaleItaly has more than 150 cases pending right now.
How it works: For between $3,000 to $12,000, the company gathers vital records — birth certificates, death and marriage records, etc. — with the help of a team of former NYPD detectives to help trace a client's Italian lineage.
- The documents are certified and translated into Italian. They will then become part of a petition for citizenship that must be approved by the Italian government.
- Most cases take about 18 months to complete, depending on whether the person has already taken steps to obtain citizenship, Esposito says.
Yes, but: Italy has imposed tougher restrictions, which had final approval this month, on who can qualify for Italian citizenship under what is called "jus sanguinis," or descendant bloodline.
- Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani says the changes were meant to crack down on "abuse" of the system by people with little or no ties to the country. (Italian passports are among the most coveted since they grant holders rights and privileges in 27 European Union member states.)
Before, individuals could trace back their Italian ancestry to a relative who was alive when the country was formed in March 1869.
- Under the new rules, only applicants with a parent or grandparent born in Italy are eligible for citizenship. PortaleItaly is having to turn away more people who no longer qualify.
Zoom in: Roman Santa Croce, a Philadelphian who now lives in Atlanta, tells Axios the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs have disrupted his work in the film industry, which was still recovering from the pandemic.
- He hopes to have his Italian citizenship by next year, giving him the option of living there part-time and pursuing other projects with a relative who is a filmmaker.
"It's entering a stage of government I just don't really want to be around," the 36-year-old says. "My wife's rights have been getting less and less every day."
The bottom line: Florida resident Enrico "Rick" DiRienzo, who grew up in the Philly suburbs, says he and his wife have grown tired of the nation's "intense polarization."
- Now that their children are adults and DiRienzo has a remote job, the idea of relocating is more enticing. He was the one who encouraged his cousin, Hiltner, to look into doing it, too.
"It's all this anger. We didn't used to be so freaking angry," he says. "I'm tired of watching people vote against their own interests. I'm tired of people being cruel."