Trump administration to more heavily scrutinize "good moral character" requirement for U.S. citizenship

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: August 16, 2025 / 12:28 PM EDT


The Trump administration is signaling it will more heavily scrutinize applications filed by legal immigrants seeking American citizenship, in its latest effort to tighten access to U.S. immigration benefits. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency overseeing the country's legal immigration system, instructed officers on Friday to consider additional factors when determining whether immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship have a "good moral character."

Typically, legal immigrants with U.S. permanent residency, also known as a green card, can apply for naturalized American citizenship after a 3- or 5-year period, depending on their case. Demonstrating "a good moral character" has long been one of the requirements in U.S. immigration law for American citizenship, alongside passing English and civics tests.

For decades, under Republican and Democratic administrations, the "good moral character" assessment has generally been satisfied if applicants don't have any of the criminal offenses or disqualifying conduct outlined in U.S. immigration law. Those disqualifying factors range from violent crimes like murder and aggravated felonies to drug offenses and being a "habitual drunkard."

But a policy issued Friday by USCIS expands the "good moral character" assessment, saying that determination must involve "more than a cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing." Instead, the review, the agency told its officers, should be "a holistic assessment of an alien's behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-uscis-ctizenship-good-moral-character-scrutinize/

---

Brought to you by the most craven immoral criminals to crawl on the face of the earth.

and being a "habitual drunkard."

That should send Kegsbreath and Jerkie Pirro-ette packing, eh?

[vapor2]

1. Pretty much disqualifies the entire freakin cabinet

[The Blue Flower]

2. So 34 felony convictions passes?

This is nuts.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. Neither trump nor his family would pass this moral character test

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Hornedfrog2000]

17. Wasnt grandpa in the trades?

Sex trade industry just like his grandson the pedophile, rapist trump?

[Tree Lady]

4. Well I guess that means we get to deport him

Since he has no moral character at all.

[Demovictory9]

5. "adherence to societal norms" politically based?

[twodogsbarking]

6. If that is retroactive Melaaaaaaniaaaaaaaah is toast, in five languages.

[Cha]

7. Asshole.. Flaunting his Treason, Rape,

Sexual Abuse, and Criminal 34 Counts of Felony in everyone's face.

[FalloutShelter]

9. Right?

OMG … irony is dead.
😵

[D. Spaulding]

8. If only Trump would have considered doing that

for his cabinet and advisors.

[ret5hd]

10. everyone should email a few of melania's...

skin pics to USCIS.

just sayin’.

[Puppyjive]

11. The pot calling the kettle black

You can't reason with stupidity.

[homegirl]

36. Remember

Everything makes sense when you remember what Lawrence O'Donnell said a couple of nights ago.

He said trump is a child, and we have never had a child as president before. The corporate media keeps making the mistake of trying to attribute adult motives to his actions.

And I don't think O'Donnell was talking about a teenager either. Trump is literally like a four or five year old. So he wants to be liked by those he perceives as "strong". He wants praise. He wants to be told he's right. So the giddy clapping on the runway and the stupid flattery by putin about the 2020 election were all big wins in his juvenile mind.

Just mind boggling when you think about it.

[tanyev]

12. By "good moral character" they mean sufficient adulation of Donald J. Trump.

And also sufficient funds with which to demonstrate their affection.

[PSPS]

13. "good moral character" means a framed picture and a little shrine in your house

That's what they do in north korea

[Paladin]

14. trump---of all people---looking into "good moral character"?

You just can't make up this sort of vile bullshit. Do a fucking "cursory mechanical review" of trump and try to convince me he's worthy of U.S. citizenship...

[beyondtimes]

27. trump would

Grab them by the good moral character because when you have good moral character they just let you do it!!

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Who in TSF's regime would know what good moral character even is?

[Just Jerome]

16. There's....

I…
But….
It…..
Who…

[republianmushroom]

18. Going to be some Dems hired.

Republicans, good moral character in the same breath. You are so stroking me.

[aggiesal]

19. The most immoral person on the planet, is going to heavily scrutinize "good moral character"? ...

I think he forgot to take his Irony Deficient tablets this morning, AGAIN!

[pfitz59]

20. Why?

None of the trumpies have morals.

[Beartracks]

21. Reminds me of evangelist Oral Roberts enterprises.

Employees had to sign statements that they wouldn't smoke or drink even when not at work -- so "good moral character" as viewed through a particular very conservative Christian lens.

===========

[tavernier]

22. ...

That’s all I’ve got to say about Rump’s “good moral character” check.

[JT45242]

23. Like sleeping with a dude who is still married to his second wife?

Just asking, I know a soft core porn star who is wondering.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

24. Irony is lost on these idiots

[Dem2theMax]

25. If you promise to kiss trump's ass...

That's their proof of 'good moral character.'

Every time you're sure they've reached the bottom,
they prove there's another bottom.

Here's hoping they all end up on the bottom,
just like this, (sans life ring.)

[lonely bird]

26. Adherence to societal norms?

This fucking administration wants immigrants to adhere to societal norms? Like serial lying, serial fraud in business dealing, serial stupidity, xenophobia, Christian nationalism, fascism? Those norms?

I just can’t with these people.

[Ocelot II]

28. Good moral character? Hahahahaha!

Trump the con man, sex pest, pedophile and convicted felon; Kegbreath the drunk; Noem the puppy murderer; Bondi the bribe-taker; Kennedy the science-denying crackpot, for starters? Deport the lot of them.

[Aviation Pro]

29. What kind of fucking joke is this?

You fucking pedophile.

[underpants]

30. Two memes

[Diraven]

31. I can predict how they're going to use this

To exclude non-whites, non-Christians, non-heterosexuals, and non-conservatives.

[bmichaelh]

32. Loyalty to Trump

What they mean is loyalty to Trump.

There are about 20 to 30 quotations from Shakespeare that could apply to Donald Trump and his lack of moral character.

For example:

PAROLES
He will lie, sir, with such volubility
that you would think truth were a fool.
--Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well 4.3.248-49

ADRIANA
Vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind,
Stigmatical in making, worse in mind.
--Shakespeare, Comedy of Errors 4.2.21-22

MENENIUS
There is no more
mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger.
--Shakespeare, Coriolanus 5.4.28-29

Etc. Etc.

Unfortunately, his cabinet tries to emulate Trump's viciousness and mercilessness.

[AllaN01Bear]

33. hem

[JHB]

34. So they're going to disqualify everyone in the administration from citizenship?

The aggregate of good moral character within the Trump administration is still a negative number. And not a single one of them is in the "plus" range.

[LuckyLib]

35. Yeah, right.

🤣

[BradBo]

37. Can you be a pussy grabber?

[electric_blue68]

38. GOOD Moral "Character"?!!! Baaahahahaaaa!

[LisaL]

39. I am all for making it a requirement

for US presidents.

[Botany]

40. " good moral character" Nothing says that like wanting to have sex with your daughter and paying to ...

…. have sex (rape) with girls that look like her. Btw I really do think that Donny has had
sex with Ivanka.

[Martin68]

41. How about a requirement of "good moral character" for the office of the Presidency?

[malthaussen]

42. That's some high irony. n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

43. Is being a convicted FELON and a highly suspected PEDOPHILE "good moral character"?? Or would he be exempt?

[Jean Genie]

44. Ha-ha-ha-ha

Good moral character? Republicans? Trump's minions? What a joke!

[OldBaldy1701E]

45. Wow.

"a holistic assessment of an alien's behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character."

That's a lot of words just to say 'know your place and don't question the white folks'.

[YoshidaYui]

46. he is one to talk

he's always been a fucking liar..