Overview

• USCIS issued an August 15 memo instructing officers to use a holistic 'good moral character' review that requires affirmative evidence of positive contributions, such as community involvement, caregiving, education, stable lawful employment, tax compliance and length of residence.
• New policy manual updates direct officers to treat endorsement or support of anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic ideologies as an overwhelmingly negative factor in discretionary immigration benefit decisions, not just naturalization.
• The agency said it has expanded social-media vetting to search for 'anti-American activity,' building on an April policy to screen accounts for antisemitic content tied to terrorism.
• The guidance permits consideration of behavior that is technically lawful but inconsistent with civic responsibility, and it instructs officers to weigh evidence of rehabilitation like repaying taxes or meeting court-ordered obligations.
• Legal scholars and advocates warn the vague standards invite subjective judgments and bias, while a June Justice Department memo prioritizing denaturalization underscores a broader enforcement-first posture.