US citizenship applicants now face broader requirements to prove ‘good moral character’
When considering naturalization, the Trump administration plans to more closely examine conduct that may not be criminal but is viewed as socially undesirable
Changes continue that could affect how many people obtain U.S. citizenship. Now, the Donald Trump administration has placed greater emphasis on the requirement of “good moral character” for naturalization. This concept has long been a key part of U.S. immigration law, and the administration’s new directive broadens its scope, raising concerns that the citizenship process will become more subjective and restrictive for hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year.
Good moral character
To be eligible for naturalization, a person must be at least 18 years old, able to read, write, and speak basic English, and must declare that they are of “good moral character.”
Traditionally, the “good moral character” requirement was considered to be met if applicants did not have serious criminal records. Permanent bars, such as convictions for murder or genocide, and conditional bars, such as multiple convictions for drunk driving, have long disqualified individuals from naturalization.
A memorandum from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published on August 15 changes that approach. Officials are now required to conduct a “holistic assessment” of applicants’ character, reviewing not only the absence of disqualifying acts, but also whether a person has demonstrated affirmative contributions and behaviors consistent with community expectations. According to the memo, “findings must go beyond the absence of disqualifying acts, it must reflect a genuine positive assessment of who the alien is and how they have lived in their community.”
The new policy urges officials to consider a wide range of positive contributions, such as community involvement, caring for others, educational attainment, stable employment, compliance with tax obligations, and length of legal residence in the United States. USCIS maintains that these measures will allow officials to reward applicants who embody the values of responsibility and civic engagement.
At the same time, the agency will apply greater scrutiny to behaviors that, while not criminal, are considered socially undesirable. The memo cites reckless or habitual traffic infractions or harassment or aggressive solicitation as examples of behaviors that, while technically legal, could undermine the finding of good moral character. Applicants with a history of substance abuse, repeated convictions for driving under the influence, or failure to meet financial obligations, such as child support, may also be subject to greater scrutiny unless they provide evidence of rehabilitation.
Applicants may demonstrate reform through compliance with court orders, payment of debts or taxes, or community testimonials attesting to their character. USCIS spokesperson Matthew J. Tragesser stated that the intention is to encourage responsibility: “U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship, it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best.”
Immigration system
The stricter review of “good moral character” is just the latest in a series of measures by the Trump administration to reform the U.S. immigration system. Although much of the public attention has focused on measures targeting undocumented immigrants — including border deployments, expedited deportations, and expanded immigration raids — the administration has also taken steps to restrict legal immigration. These steps include limiting refugee admissions, increasing visa fees, suspending previous asylum programs, and implementing stricter screening procedures, including reviewing applicants’ online presence.
The administration presents these measures as efforts to “restore integrity” to the immigration system. However, critics counter that these policies erode traditional principles of fairness and transparency in the immigration process, and that naturalization applicants now face unpredictable and potentially politicized criteria. Doug Rand, a former USCIS official, described the measure to CBS as “torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behaviors,” noting the potential denial of citizenship for traffic violations or other minor issues.
Approximately 25 million naturalized citizens live in the United States, representing more than half of the foreign-born population. With hundreds of thousands of immigrants applying for citizenship each year, the new USCIS directive could change the path to naturalization in the coming years.
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