The Trump administration is reportedly planning to make the U.S. citizenship test more challenging, potentially introducing an essay requirement.
White House May Add Essay To Citizenship Test
White House is reportedly planning to introduce an essay requirement in the U.S. citizenship test, which could give officials broader discretion in approving immigrants for citizenship. This proposal comes amid the administration’s push for stricter legal immigration pathways and increased scrutiny of applicants’ “good moral character,” Axios reported.
Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), expressed his belief that the Biden administration had set the standards too low, leading to the revocation of some previously granted citizenship approvals. He also mentioned that he has already referred several cases for denaturalization to the Department of Justice.
Edlow criticized the current citizenship exam for being too easy to pass. He suggested a move towards a standardized test where applicants would go to a testing center and answer questions to demonstrate their understanding of U.S. civics instead of the 10-question civics test. He also proposed an essay question on a topic such as “What does it mean to be an American?” or “Who was your favorite founding father?”
Edlow opined that the present form of citizenship exam is “too easy” to pass.
The timeline for introducing the new test is not yet determined, but Edlow hopes to implement changes within the next year. Meanwhile, USCIS is returning to the 2020 version of the citizenship exam, which officials say was simplified to make it easier to pass under President Biden. The agency has released updated guidelines for assessing English language proficiency, further adding discretion to the citizenship process.
However, immigration attorneys expect that these changes will result in more lawsuits against USCIS following citizenship application denials.
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Intensifies
The Trump administration’s latest move to tighten the citizenship process is part of a broader effort to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. This follows the administration’s directive to deny benefits to immigrants with “anti-American” views, a policy that could potentially lead to application denials.
Additionally, the administration has launched Medicaid spending probes targeting immigrant healthcare programs in several Democratic-led states. These measures, combined with the latest proposal to make the citizenship test more difficult, reflect the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration.
However, this stringent approach to immigration has also led to a significant decline in the U.S. labor force, impacting various sectors and potentially contributing to inflation. The U.S. labor force has seen a decline of over 1.2 million immigrants, who represent a significant portion of the workforce in key industries.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
