USCIS appears to be obsessed about heightening the nice ethical character customary for citizenship for the aim of delay.
On August 19, 2025 USCIS introduced that it will consider good ethical character within the naturalization context to embody a “holistic evaluation of an alien’s habits, adherence to societal norms, and optimistic contributions that affirmatively display good ethical character”.
As if that was not sufficient to make naturalization extra burdensome, on August 22, 2025 USCIS introduced that it will resume neighborhood investigations to cowl the neighborhood of an applicant’s place of residence and employment for no less than the 5-year interval previous to submitting the applying for naturalization. The authority for conducting neighborhood investigations stems from INA 335(a) to corroborate an applicant’s residency, good ethical character, attachment to tthe US Structure and disposition to the nice order and happiness of the USA that’s prescribed below INA 316. Nevertheless, the neighborhood requirement below INA 335(a) has lengthy been dormant.
From 1802 to 1981, citizenship candidates had been required to current two witnesses who might testify to their {qualifications} for citizenship. In 1981, Congress eradicated the requirement for witnesses rather than neighborhood investigations, if obligatory. However by 1991, the previous Immigration and Naturalization Service stopped conducting neighborhood investigations.
USCIS now below the Trump administration is reviving neighborhood investigations to thwart one’s path to citizenship. It should make the choice to conduct or waive neighborhood investigations on an individualized discretionary foundation after reviewing related proof within the document. This implies that an applicant must embody letters from neighbors and others within the N-400 software with a purpose to stave off a neighborhood investigation. The USCIS steering on neighborhood investigations states:
USCIS could request data from the alien looking for naturalization to tell its resolution on conducting the neighborhood investigation comparable to testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, co-workers, and enterprise associates who know the alien and might present substantiated details about the alien, together with any of the necessities for naturalization. If such proof just isn’t contained within the alien’s software for naturalization, USCIS could request that the alien submit such proof. Submitting such proof proactively with the Utility for Naturalization can help USCIS in figuring out whether or not a waiver of a neighborhood investigation is acceptable in a specific case and not using a have to challenge a Request for Proof.
As defined in our prior weblog, the heightened good ethical character requirement within the August 19 announcement, and now additional elevated within the August 22 announcement, is a big departure from the earlier USCIS coverage regarding good ethical character. Though the INA doesn’t particularly outline good ethical character, USCIS had beforehand held naturalization candidates to the usual of a median U.S. citizen, somewhat than requiring them to supply proof of exemplary character or contributions. See In re Mogus, 73 F.Supp. 150 (W.D. Pa. 1947); Petition of De Leo, 75 F. Supp. 896 (W.D. Pa. 1948); and Matter of Castillo-Perez, 27 I&N Dec. 664 (A.G. 2019).
The USCIS’s foundation for locating good ethical character within the absence of disqualifying prison convictions and different adversarial components was sensible and made sense because it offered an goal customary for adjudicators to course of the applying in a streamlined and expeditious manners. Now the requirement to judge good ethical character primarily based on optimistic contributions, together with corroboration from neighbors, will trigger delays and lavatory down the system. Right now, even below the not too immigrant pleasant Trump administration, Kind N-400 naturalization purposes are processed and authorized for the oath ceremony in lower than 6 months assuming the applicant meets all the standards.
Furthermore, the entire notion of interviewing the neighbor appears outdated and unworkable. Individuals are principally anonymized and don’t combine with neighbors. In suburban cities, most individuals drive to and from their properties. There isn’t any village sq. or inexperienced for neighbors to mingle, dine or dance after work or throughout the weekends. Even in massive cities comparable to New York the place folks dwell in condominium buildings inside dense neighborhoods, one hardly is aware of the neighbor who lives on the identical ground. Most individuals will barely know one another in a big Manhattan condominium condominium, and once they journey elevators, most barely greet one another holding their eyes fixated on their cell phone till the top of the elevator journey relieved that they escaped the necessity to make well mannered dialog concerning the climate.
One wonders too how a USCIS investigator conducting a neighborhood go to will breakthrough to a neighbor in a New York constructing. They are going to first should get by safety to be allowed to go to the neighbor’s condominium or randomly go to a number of neighbors. How will they knock on all 20 doorways on the ground assuming they’ve handed safety downstairs? Would the neighbor who could also be accosted in a nightie early within the morning even deign to permit a stranger to go to them to speak about somebody they’ve barely heard of. There may be additionally a hazard that the neighbor could have biases, and such a go to would additionally undermine the applicant’s privateness because the neighbor could not have even realized that the applicant was not a US citizen. Contemplate the state of affairs the place a neighbor, a staunch MAGA supporter, has heard rumors of the applicant’s liberal views—this could possibly be seen as an ideal alternative to undermine them. Moreover, private grievances might come into play, comparable to annoyance over noisy kids or disputes with a coop board member, if the applicant is one, over elevated upkeep charges or carpeting necessities to dampen noise.
The revival of the coverage of neighborhood visits seems to be a calculated cynical maneuver by officers within the Trump administration to introduce pointless hurdles within the path to U.S. citizenship. This coverage not solely complicates the naturalization course of but additionally serves as an affront to candidates who’ve already demonstrated their dedication to the USA by authorized channels. By subjecting them to the scrutiny of neighbors—who could harbor biases or private grievances—this coverage dangers undermining the equity and integrity of the naturalization course of.
Moreover, the coverage is anachronistic, paying homage to a time when group ties had been stronger and neighbors had been extra accustomed to each other. In in the present day’s city and suburban environments, the place anonymity typically prevails, such visits aren’t solely intrusive but additionally largely ineffective. They place an undue burden on each candidates and their neighbors, who could also be unwilling or unable to supply significant insights into the applicant’s character.
Finally, this coverage shift appears much less about making certain the integrity of the naturalization course of and extra about creating boundaries that discourage and delay candidates. It’s a disservice to those that aspire to grow to be contributing members of American society and an intrusion into the personal lives of people.
