Overview

• The White House and USCIS say changes to naturalization interviews take effect on October 20, affecting green card holders seeking citizenship.
• Official guidance highlights an expanded civics exam, broader background checks, and a directive to weigh applicants’ positive community contributions when evaluating “good moral character.”
• Reports indicate the civics test could require 12 correct answers out of up to 20 drawn from a 128‑question pool, with denial after a second failure, which USCIS has not formally detailed.
• USCIS materials and news reports say discretionary “neighborhood investigations” may return to gather input from employers or community members, a practice largely dormant since the 1990s.
• Stephen Miller is promoting recruitment of “homeland defenders” via DHS job ads that frame the mission as stopping exploitation of the system, drawing criticism over the rhetoric as key operational details remain undisclosed.