Trump administration heightens ‘good moral character’ standards for potential US citizens

Desmond Milligan · August 18

The Trump administration is ordering officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take a more “holistic” approach when determining whether to award U.S. citizenship to immigrants, saying they must weigh more factors in determining whether an applicant has “good moral character.”

The Friday memo from USCIS said officers must now weigh not just any disqualifying behavior but whether those seeking to naturalize are in good standing in their community.

“Going forward, USCIS officers must account for an alien’s positive attributes and not simply the absence of misconduct,” the memo states.

U.S. law has long prevented those convicted of murder and other serious violent crimes from gaining U.S. citizenship, and applicants were already required to be considered as having good moral character.

But the new memo also encourages officers to consider rejecting applicants with other convictions, including drug use or two or more convictions for driving under the influence. 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.”

Officers are also urged to consider evidence of reform, including compliance with court orders, payment of lapses in taxes of child support payments, or “community testimony” from those who can assure their good character.

The memo also encourages the officers to look at other “positive factors,” such as “sustained community involvement,” caregiving or raising a family, education and career achievements, and paying taxes.

“GMC findings must go beyond the absence of disqualifying acts, it must reflect a genuine positive assessment of who the alien is and how they have lived in their community,” the memo states, using an abbreviation for good moral character.

Those seeking to naturalize already face multiple steps to do so, including years of lawful presence in the U.S., compliance with U.S. laws, and passing a test on U.S. civics often conducted in English.

“U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship — it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew J. Tragesser said in a statement.

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