Trump Promotes Assimilation with Tougher Citizenship Exam for Immigrants

New changes to the U.S. Citizenship Exam from the Trump administration are once again placing assimilation at the center of immigration policy and ensuring that our country grants the sacred right of citizenship only to those who truly love America and are eager to contribute to its success.

For decades, the Washington establishment has treated U.S. citizenship as a right owed to the world rather than a privilege that must be earned by those who embrace our nation’s laws, culture, and values. The process of becoming a citizen was functionally no different from filling out a tax form, when in reality it should be honored as the most important status a person can achieve.

To resolve this glaring issue, the Trump administration recently announced a tougher citizenship exam for legal immigrants who wish to become Americans. The new test expands the subject matter prospective citizens are quizzed on and doubles the number of correct answers required to pass. Questions will be drawn from a 128-question pool covering everything from the Bill of Rights to the sacrifices of those who defend it.

This is not the first time President Trump has tried to strengthen the naturalization process. In 2020, his administration unveiled a more rigorous test with expanded questions on U.S. history, government, and civic culture. But the Biden administration swiftly dismantled those reforms. Claiming the exam was too difficult, they lowered the bar once again, reverting to a watered-down version with fewer questions and a lower passing threshold.

Critics complain a higher bar will make the test more difficult to pass. They are correct – and that is the whole point. American citizenship should never be cheapened. A nation that gives citizenship away without demanding knowledge of, respect for, and loyalty to its founding principles is only inviting decline and decay.

A higher standard will separate those who are genuinely committed to becoming productive, law-abiding Americans from those who view citizenship as nothing more than a meal ticket to the gravy train of government benefits.

The Trump administration’s reforms extend far beyond the exam itself. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is also restoring “neighborhood investigations,” a practice that verifies whether applicants are respected members of their communities. Officers will now be able to verify residence, employment status, and community reputation by speaking with neighbors, coworkers, and others who know what kind of person the applicant truly is.

In addition, USCIS has placed a renewed emphasis on what the law calls “good moral character.” For years, this standard was virtually ignored. As long as you hadn’t committed a serious crime, you were in.

Now, that is changing. The Trump administration has ordered officers to consider every aspect of an applicant’s life, weighing not only the absence of wrongdoing but also the presence of positive contributions. Community service, family responsibility, and financial responsibility will all matter. Repeated misconduct, even minor infractions of the law, will weigh against an applicant. The effect is to shift the question from “Did you avoid wrongdoing?” to “Have you shown that you are worthy of American citizenship?”

All of these reforms are focused on a central goal: assimilation. The United States has historically demanded that newcomers become Americans in the fullest sense – united by a common language, culture, values, and destiny. But assimilation is not automatic. It requires a nation to set crystal clear expectations, and to vigorously enforce those standards.

That is why President Trump has paired the new exam with other assimilation-focused reforms. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. For centuries, English has been the language of law, commerce, and opportunity in this country. Making it official reaffirms the truth that while private citizens may speak any language they wish, public life in America must be conducted in only one language.

President Trump has also directed federal agencies to scale back non-essential multilingual services, ensuring that resources go instead to helping immigrants learn English. Combined with a tougher citizenship test, these measures create a system that rewards assimilation rather than enabling what President Teddy Roosevelt called “hyphenated Americans.”

Why does this matter? Because a nation that does not assimilate newcomers eventually ceases to be a nation at all. Without a common culture, we risk fragmenting into rival communities with little loyalty to one another.

That is the road to ruin. President Trump is determined to chart a different course that strengthens national unity, builds civic pride, and ensures that those who become citizens are fully prepared to shoulder the responsibilities of being an American.

Citizenship is the foundation of our republic. But even more than that, it is the most valuable possession the average American will ever own. A home can be lost, a fortune can be squandered, even health and strength will fade with time. But citizenship endures. It secures the right to vote, to participate fully in self-government, and to pass liberty on to one’s children. It is the priceless inheritance that connects each of us to the sacrifices of the past and the promise of the future.

Unlike so many other politicians, President Trump understands that those who possess American citizenship must guard it with vigilance, and those who desire it must earn it with devotion.

Mike Marlowe is the pen name of a writer based in Texas.