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A long-standing requirement for US citizenship, the ‘good moral character’ test has now been expanded under Trump. Here’s what immigration officials will now assess
Citizen candidates attend a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony. (Image: REUTERS)
For decades, immigrants seeking to become American citizens have had to demonstrate “good moral character.” Traditionally, this meant avoiding serious crimes such as murder, aggravated felonies, or repeat drunk-driving convictions. But the Trump administration has now dramatically expanded the standard, ordering officers to go beyond the absence of wrongdoing and assess an applicant’s entire life, from community ties to social media activity.
The new directive from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is part of President Donald Trump’s wider second-term agenda to restrict both legal and illegal immigration. While the agency says the changes ensure citizenship goes only to the “best of the best,” immigration experts warn that the policy’s vagueness leaves applicants vulnerable to subjective judgments and even political bias.
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What Is The ‘Good Moral Character’ Rule For US Citizenship?
The idea of good moral character has been embedded in US naturalisation law since the 1790 Naturalization Act. For most of American history, it has been interpreted narrowly: if an applicant avoided crimes such as murder, felonies, or fraud, they were considered eligible. Over time, additional disqualifiers were added, such as aggravated felonies, habitual drunkenness, or serious tax evasion.
Most green card holders apply for citizenship after three to five years of residence. Along with English and civics tests, they must prove good moral character for the length of their residency. Until now, this usually meant showing a clean criminal record and steady compliance with tax and residency rules.
How Has Trump Changed The Definition Of Good Moral Character?
The new USCIS memo, issued on Friday, tells officers to move away from what it calls a “cursory mechanical review” and conduct a holistic assessment of applicants.
The directive says officers must place “greater emphasis” on positive attributes such as community involvement, caregiving for family, long-term lawful employment, tax compliance, educational attainment, and strong ties to the United States.
At the same time, they are ordered to apply stricter scrutiny to behaviour that may not amount to a crime but is “contrary to civic responsibility.” This could include reckless or habitual traffic violations, harassment, or aggressive solicitation.
The policy also highlights rehabilitation. USCIS said applicants can still demonstrate good moral character if they have evidence of reform, for example, paying overdue taxes or completing probation.
Doug Rand, a former senior USCIS official, told CBS News that the administration was “trying to increase the grounds for denial … by torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behaviour.”
Why Is USCIS Screening For ‘Anti-Americanism’?
Perhaps the most controversial addition is the screening of applicants for “anti-American activity” and “antisemitic ideologies.” A Tuesday USCIS press release said officers will examine whether immigrants seeking visas, green cards, or citizenship have “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” such views, including on social media.
“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told The Hill. He also said immigration benefits “remain a privilege, not a right.”
But USCIS has not issued a detailed list of what counts as “anti-American.” Critics say the absence of clear definitions hands sweeping discretion to individual officers. Jane Lilly Lopez, associate professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, told The Washington Post this vagueness allows officers to impose “subjective interpretations” that could reflect stereotypes or bias.
Why Has The Trump Administration Made This Change?
Officials describe the move as an attempt to raise the bar for naturalisation. “US citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship; it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best,” Tragesser said in a statement to CBS News. According to USCIS, new citizens should not only respect America’s laws but also affirmatively demonstrate values and behaviour “commensurate with the standards of average citizens.”
But the timing also reflects Trump’s broader second-term immigration push. Alongside expanding deportations, he has threatened to end birthright citizenship, ordered USCIS to scrutinise immigrants’ online posts, and vowed to revoke the naturalisation of some citizens.
Who Will Be Affected By The Expanded Rules?
Each year, between 600,000 and 1 million immigrants are naturalised, according to USCIS data. There are about 25 million naturalised citizens in the US today.
Under the new policy, applicants will be judged not only on whether they have avoided crimes but also on whether they have actively contributed to American society. Conversely, minor infractions such as repeated traffic violations or online posts critical of the US government could now weigh against an applicant.
Gabriel Chin, professor of law at the University of California, Davis, told The Washington Post that many birthright Americans themselves would not meet these standards. “If they had not been born here, they would not make the cut,” he said.
What Does This Mean For Immigration Going Forward?
Supporters argue that the expanded test ensures America’s newest citizens fully embrace its values and contribute positively to society. USCIS has repeatedly framed the change as aligning citizenship with responsibility.
But the lack of clarity around terms like “anti-Americanism,” coupled with the discretion given to individual officers, has raised fears of arbitrary denials and inconsistent outcomes. As Lopez put it, the challenge is that officers must now “evaluate something they cannot consistently describe or define.”
With Trump already pursuing the most aggressive deportation programme in US history and signalling plans to reshape the country’s demographic profile, the expanded good moral character test marks another step in that direction. For immigrants hoping to naturalise, the process is no longer just about avoiding wrongdoing, it is about proving, in every aspect of life, that they are “good enough” to be American.
About the Author
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar…Read More
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar… Read More
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