Overview

• Joseph Edlow says the current 10‑question civics exam is too easy and is proposing an essay to gauge attachment to the Constitution, with prompts such as “What does it mean to be an American?”
• Edlow envisions shifting to a standardized test administered at testing centers and says he hopes to implement changes within about a year, though no formal rollout is set.
• USCIS has already reverted to the 2020 civics exam format and issued new guidance expanding how officers assess English proficiency and the statutory ‘good moral character’ requirement.
• Positioning USCIS as a law‑enforcement actor, Edlow declared a “war on fraud” in naturalization and said he has referred multiple denaturalization cases to the Justice Department.
• Immigration attorneys warn that added discretion from an essay and broader screenings could fuel biased decisions and more lawsuits, and reporting notes the proposals are not yet finalized.