Trump Administration Moves To Make U.S. Citizenship Harder

The Trump administration has revealed extensive modifications to the U.S. citizenship process, implementing a more challenging civics test that critics argue will complicate naturalization for immigrants already making valuable contributions to American society.

The revised test would increase the pool of potential questions from 100 to 128 and mandate that applicants correctly answer 12 out of 20 questions to succeed. At present, applicants need to answer six out of 10 questions correctly. This change echoes a brief 2020 test version introduced during Trump’s initial term, which the Biden administration reversed in 2021.

Officials stated that the updated test will “better assess an alien’s understanding of U.S. history, government, and the English language,” while ensuring that “traditional American culture and values are protected.” The Department of Homeland Security noted that this overhaul is part of a multi-phase strategy to confirm that prospective citizens are fully dedicated to the “American way of life.”

The announcement aligns with wider immigration enforcement efforts, including Trump’s commitment to executing the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and heightened scrutiny of immigrants’ “moral character,” community connections, and social media activity.

Immigration advocates denounced the change, labeling it an unwarranted obstacle. They contend that the policy aims to hinder legal immigrants from attaining citizenship, while also aligning the naturalization process with conservative ideology.

“All this does is make it harder for longtime residents who contribute to this country every day to finally achieve the permanent protections that only U.S. citizenship can offer,” said one immigration rights lawyer.

These changes follow other contentious measures, such as intensified neighborhood interviews of applicants and verifications to ensure they have never voted unlawfully. Critics argue that these policies, combined with recent immigration raids and Supreme Court rulings on racial profiling, indicate a broader effort to politicize and weaponize immigration enforcement.

When the Biden administration overturned Trump’s previous test, it highlighted that the 2008 version was crafted with input from over 150 organizations, educators, and historians, ensuring fairness and accessibility, particularly for those learning English as a second language.

Advocates caution that reinstating the more difficult test will once again place naturalization beyond the reach of many immigrants who have lived, worked, and raised families in the U.S. for years.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli