The naturalization test taken by most adult immigrants to the United States could become significantly more challenging under new proposals put forth by the Trump Administration this week.
Joseph Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated at an event hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies think tank in Washington that, “This test is just too easy…We need to make it a little more challenging…We’re going to make the test harder in terms of making questions a little more thought-provoking.”
Although formal plans have not yet been presented, Edlow’s remarks indicate the Trump Administration’s dedication to curbing not only illegal immigration but also legitimate pathways to U.S. citizenship.
Here’s what you should know about the citizenship test.
Current Citizenship Test Structure
Presently, the citizenship test, integral to the naturalization process, consists of a civics examination and an English language exam to assess proficiency.
During the civics exam, applicants are posed ten questions chosen from a pool of 100 potential history and government questions. To pass, they must correctly answer six out of these ten questions.
Many of these inquiries pertain to the Constitution or the Bill of Rights—for instance, “What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?” and “What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?”
Questions on U.S. history are also included—such as, “Why did the colonists fight the British?” or “Name one problem that led to the Civil War.”
Some of these questions may have multiple correct answers, depending on the specific query.
Proposed Changes to the Test
Edlow, however, asserts that the current citizenship test is too simple for applicants and that they can be guided through it. He suggests the test shouldn’t be “impossible” but should lean more towards ideological understanding rather than mere factual recall.
He commented, “A question of simply, ‘hey, name two federal holidays’ and, you know, ‘name one branch of government’ or ‘name your governor.’ It’s simply not enough. We need to know more, especially if we’re going to really understand whether someone has a true attachment to the Constitution as required by the statute.”
He also indicated the potential for an essay section within the test, featuring more open-ended questions, which would subsequently allow for increased discretion in scoring.
These essay questions could encompass topics similar to “What does it mean to be an American?” or “Who was your favorite founding father?” Edlow informed .
Rationale Behind the Changes
Edlow claims that “fraud” is occurring within the naturalization process.
During the conference, Edlow declared, “I am declaring war on fraud. I am declaring war on anyone that is coming to this country and wants to get a benefit, but doesn’t want the responsibility of what it means to actually be a U.S. citizen.”
He further stated that USCIS functions not solely as a service agency but as a “law enforcement agency,” a role increasingly evident with recent modifications, including one on Thursday that , as well as its capacity to mandate expedited removal and investigate civil and criminal breaches of immigration laws.
Historically, USCIS has operated independently from immigration enforcement efforts, but recent adjustments imply that the naturalization process will become part of the Trump Administration’s assertive and extensive crackdown.
Professor Daniel Kanstroom, of Boston College Law School, notes that while the test has undergone numerous revisions, the introduction of an essay section would raise questions about how it would be evaluated and by whom.
These changes follow a USCIS memo released last month that revised the criteria for “” requirements in U.S. citizenship applications, now including scrutiny for “anti-American” viewpoints. The from the USCIS advocated for “restoring a rigorous, holistic, and comprehensive good moral character evaluation standard” for immigrants seeking naturalization.
“The question comes down to are we a fundamentally open country or are we a fundamentally closed country,” Kanstroom explained to TIME regarding the prospective new citizenship test. “That’s what is at stake here.”
Kanstroom added that there is a “dissonance” in the Trump Administration’s definition of what citizenship entails.
He commented, “It’s troubling to me that with this test change there’s a view of citizenship as a precious commodity, but then there is also his “” he says,” referring to a visa introduced by Trump earlier this year that grants the legal right to live and work in the U.S. for a sum of $5 million.
