We already knew the Trump administration was serious about relieving the country of illegals, having put significant resources into ridding American streets of the most violent and dangerous thugs who had, for years, been allowed to waltz across the southern border. Now, we're hearing that the administration is kicking things up a few notches by significantly raising the standards for immigrants who wish to go through the naturalization process.
In short, the administration is signaling that it's not enough to just boot the bad guys, we must also thoroughly and vigorously vet those foreigners who wish to stay in the U.S. permanently and become citizens.
A new memo from the Trump administration to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lays it all out in glorious detail. Entitled "Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard for Aliens Applying for Naturalization," the memo emphasizes that it's not enough for applicants to not have any disqualifying behaviors, they must also be able to prove they are of good character.
You would have thought this standard already existed in the naturalization process, but that is apparently not the case. Per the memo, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which was passed during the Clinton administration, lowered the bar on problematic issues like prior "drug offenses, fraud, and misrepresentation" amongst applicants. A checklist was thus created that equated an applicant's "good moral character (GMC)" with not having a rap sheet. Their good works within their community, if there were any, were not taken into account.
All that changes going forward. 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 alien’s behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character.“
The USCIS is also directed to consider rejecting applicants for past drug use or multiple convictions for driving while under the influence. And it's not just illegal offenses that are to be considered—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."
If you need to see what happens when foreigners are welcomed into a country without having to assimilate or contribute to society, look no further than Great Britain. They are overrun with "migrants" from the Middle East and North Africa, resulting in societal decay and rising discontent amongst natural-born citizens. That pot is rapidly boiling.
The new standards being implemented here in the U.S. will hopefully stave off that kind of rot, and all signs are pointing to real progress being made on that front. As RedState's Bog Hoge reported Monday, 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[.]"
https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2025/08/19/foreigners-who-want-to-become-us-citizens-must-demonstrate-high-moral-character-n2192966
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