The Trump Administration is implementing stricter standards for evaluating the “good moral character” of individuals applying for U.S. citizenship.
According to a policy released on Friday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency must now perform a more thorough and “holistic” evaluation of an applicant’s “good moral character.” This includes taking into account an applicant’s “positive attributes and not simply the absence of misconduct.”
In a statement to news organizations, USCIS chief spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated that U.S. citizenship is highly valued and should only be granted to the most deserving individuals. He added that USCIS is incorporating a new element into the naturalization process to ensure that new citizens embrace American culture, history, and language and demonstrate good moral character.
This is the latest effort by the Trump Administration to selectively restrict immigration to the U.S. On , President Donald Trump aimed to birthright citizenship, which has led to . Trump has also international students from top universities, Chinese international students, and the social media accounts of applicants. The Administration has also resources for immigration enforcement, tens of thousands of people, including some , rules for asylum seekers, the number of refugees admitted to the U.S., , and . Simultaneously, he’s introduced a system and programs while limiting refugee intake.
This recent change may cause concern among critics who worry that the Trump Administration is introducing more subjectivity and political leaning into U.S. immigration policies. Last week, Stanford University’s student newspaper the Administration, claiming that the of students with pro-Palestinian views, including those , is suppressing free speech. The American Association of University Professors is also Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the Administration’s alleged “ideological deportation policy.”
David Rozas, an immigration attorney who represented Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian student who was detained for several weeks and ultimately , told TIME in May that anyone who holds a position that contradicts the American government’s views is immediately labeled as “anti-American.”
Doug Rand, a former senior USCIS official under the Biden Administration, told CBS that the administration is attempting to expand the reasons for denying U.S. citizenship by manipulating the definition of good moral character to include harmless behavior.
Redefining “good moral character”
Historically, demonstrating “good moral character” has involved showing the absence of certain criminal offenses or disqualifying behaviors. These include “permanent bars” such as murder, aggravated felonies, and genocide, as well as “conditional bars” like multiple convictions for driving under the influence, where applicants must prove they have been rehabilitated.
According to the memo, evaluating “good moral character” will now require “more than a superficial mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing.” Instead, applicants must demonstrate that their character aligns with the standards of average citizens in their community.
Officers are instructed to use a “holistic approach” and consider positive attributes such as: sustained community involvement and contributions in the U.S.; family caregiving and ties in the U.S.; educational achievements; a stable and legal employment history; length of lawful residence in the U.S.; and compliance with U.S. tax obligations.
USCIS officers are also instructed to consider disqualifying applicants based not only on permanent and conditional bars but also on “any other acts that are contrary to the average behavior of citizens in the jurisdiction where aliens reside,” even if those acts are “technically lawful.”
The memo also emphasizes the applicant’s need to demonstrate rehabilitation if they have “engaged in wrongdoing,” such as by fully paying overdue taxes or complying with court orders.
The memo states that officers have the authority and now an explicit directive to weigh all relevant evidence, both adverse and favorable, before granting or denying naturalization when assessing conditional bars.
Test impacts naturalization applicants
Typically, green card holders who have lived in the U.S. for at least 3 to 5 years take the test when applying for naturalized American citizenship. In addition to demonstrating “good moral character,” applicants must pass English and civics tests.
According to USCIS, between 600,000 and 1 million immigrants have been naturalized as citizens each year since 2015. Around of the U.S. population are naturalized citizens, representing more than half of all foreign-born individuals in the U.S. in 2023.
Trump could also use this policy change to to his former ally, tech billionaire , as well as New York City Democratic mayoral candidate . A in June directed the department’s civil division to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.” The law allows for the denaturalization of naturalized citizens if they are found to have violated their eligibility conditions, including having “good moral character.”
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