The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping policy shift that places legal immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship under stricter review. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that applicants will now face expanded assessments of their “good moral character,” moving beyond the traditional focus on criminal records. The new directive emphasizes community contributions, societal norms, and even lawful actions deemed inconsistent with civic responsibility.
New USCIS Directive
USCIS officers received orders Friday to apply a broader standard when evaluating “good moral character.” Instead of only reviewing the absence of serious crimes, officials must now consider a “holistic assessment” of each applicant’s behavior, adherence to societal norms, and community contributions.
Traditional Requirements
Green card holders are typically eligible for citizenship after three or five years, depending on their circumstances. Applicants must prove good moral character, in addition to passing English and civics tests. Historically, disqualifications included violent crimes, aggravated felonies, drug offenses, or being a “habitual drunkard.”
Expanded Considerations
The new policy lists positive contributions like family caregiving, community involvement, educational attainment, lawful employment, tax compliance, and years lived in the U.S. as evidence of good moral character.
Scrutiny Beyond Crimes
Officers are also instructed to review actions that, while lawful, may signal poor civic responsibility. Examples include reckless driving, habitual traffic violations, harassment, or aggressive solicitation.
Rehabilitation Factors
Applicants who previously engaged in misconduct may offset concerns through rehabilitation efforts. USCIS noted compliance with probation, paying overdue taxes or child support, and letters of community support as evidence of improvement.
Trump Administration’s Stance
USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser defended the policy, saying, “U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship; it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best.”
He added that the change will ensure new citizens “embrace America’s culture, history, and language” while demonstrating good moral character.
Critics Push Back
Doug Rand, a former senior USCIS official, criticized the move, warning that it could deter legal immigrants from applying for citizenship. “They’re trying to increase the grounds for denial of U.S. citizenship by kind of torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behavior,” Rand said.
Part of a Larger Crackdown
While the Trump administration has publicly focused on illegal immigration, expanding border enforcement, fast-tracking deportations, and increasing raids, it has also worked quietly to restrict legal immigration. Measures have included cutting refugee admissions, terminating Biden-era legal entry programs, limiting visas for certain countries, and intensifying vetting, including reviews of immigrants’ social media activity.