The Trump administration has demonstrated its commitment to addressing illegal immigration by allocating substantial resources to combat the influx of violent criminals crossing the southern border.
Now, the administration is intensifying its efforts by raising the bar for immigrants seeking to undergo the naturalization process.
According to RedState, the administration is sending a clear message: it's not sufficient to merely expel the wrongdoers. It's equally crucial to rigorously scrutinize those foreign nationals who aspire to reside permanently in the U.S. and acquire citizenship.
A recent memo from the Trump administration to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) outlines this new approach. Titled "Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard for Aliens Applying for Naturalization," the memo underscores that it's not enough for applicants to lack disqualifying behaviors. They must also demonstrate good character.
One might assume that this standard was already a part of the naturalization process. However, the memo reveals that the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, enacted during the Clinton administration, lowered the threshold on issues such as prior "drug offenses, fraud, and misrepresentation" among applicants.
Consequently, an applicant's "good moral character (GMC)" was equated with the absence of a criminal record, while their contributions to their community, if any, were overlooked.
This approach is set to change. The memo states: "Becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen means being an active and responsible member of society instead of just having a right to live and work in the United States. Among other eligibility factors, aliens applying for naturalization must demonstrate that he or she has been and continues to be an individual of good moral character (GMC). Evaluating GMC involves more than a cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing.
It entails a holistic assessment of an aliens behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character."
The USCIS is also advised to consider rejecting applicants with a history of drug use or multiple DUI convictions. Officers are "also encouraged to weigh conduct that may not be illegal but frowned upon, such as reckless or habitual traffic infractions or soliciting."
"Repeated criminal conduct such as multiple DUI convictions undermines moral character unless rebutted by affirmative evidence of reform," the memo states. "In assessing conditional bars officers have authority and now explicit directive to weigh all relevant evidence, both adverse and favorable, before granting or denying naturalization."
The consequences of welcoming foreigners into a country without requiring them to assimilate or contribute to society are evident in Great Britain. The country is grappling with an influx of "migrants" from the Middle East and North Africa, leading to societal decay and growing discontent among native-born citizens.
The new standards being implemented in the U.S. aim to prevent such deterioration. Signs of progress are already evident. As reported by RedState's Bog Hoge, the Trump administration "has pulled more than 6,000 student visas for overstays, law violations, and fomenting terroristic views so far in 2025. Protest against the country that welcomes you in all you want, but understand that it might come with a price[.]"
This approach to immigration, which prioritizes the preservation of societal norms and values, is one that many Americans, including the author, have voted for and continue to support.
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