Featured Issue: Threats to Citizenship and Naturalization
The Second Trump Administration has pursued three strategies to restrict U.S. citizenship: ending birthright citizenship, making naturalization harder to obtain, and prioritizing denaturalization.
On his first day in office, President Trump issued an Executive Order attempting to restrict birthright citizenship—a right applied to anyone born on U.S. soil and protected by the 14th Amendment—to only those with a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident parent. Legal challenges block the order, and the Supreme Court will review a case challenging its constitutionality in April with a ruling expected this summer.
The Administration has also made it much harder to become a citizen by canceling naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies, pausing processing for applicants from “high-risk” countries, and changing eligibility requirements, such as requiring resource-draining visits to applicants’ neighborhoods. USCIS officers now apply subjective standards to assess “assimilation” and “allegiance and character,” even though the English and Civics tests and the Oath of Allegiance already objectively measure assimilation and allegiance.
Once naturalized, citizens face increasing threats to their status. The Administration has declared denaturalization a top enforcement priority. Once reserved for extreme cases, criteria for denaturalization have been expanded in ways that raise serious civil liberties concerns, including the potential weaponization of denaturalization against individuals critical of the Administration.
Collectively, these policies represent a direct assault on the foundational principles that define and protect U.S. citizenship.
Browse the Featured Issue: Threats to Citizenship and Naturalization collection
Call for Plaintiffs: Delayed or Cancelled Naturalization Oath Ceremonies
The American Immigration Lawyers Association, the American Immigration Council, and co‑counsel seek plaintiffs for a lawsuit to compel unlawfully withheld naturalization oath ceremonies. We seek approved applicants without an oath date or with a cancelled ceremony.
Think Immigration: The Administration’s Episode of Revisionist History (Takeaways from Trump v. Barbara Oral Argument)
AILA Past President Jeremy McKinney highlighted key questions raised and answers given in Trump v. Barbara before the Supreme Court as the Justices consider whether the “executive order was constitutionally deficient the day it was signed.”
USCIS Announces Updates to Increased Screening and Vetting Procedures
USCIS released updates regarding increased vetting procedures. Notably, USCIS established procedures to lift benefit processing holds for some cases and groups, such as asylum seekers not from “high-risk” countries and certain applications for EADs, oath ceremonies, and petitions from U.S. citizens.
NewsNation: Bondi, DOJ Ramp Up Efforts to Revoke Some Naturalized Citizens’ Status
Under President Trump, more denaturalization cases are being filed. AILA Senior Director of Government Relations Shev Dalal-Dheini explained that federal prosecutors face a high bar in such cases and questioned whether the Administration’s goal was to win in court or to create fear and chaos.
AILA and Partners File Amicus Brief Opposing Birthright Citizenship EO
AILA joined other immigrant rights groups as amici curiae in a brief to the Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara, arguing that the Trump Administration’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship would increase statelessness and harm asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens.
Policy Brief: It Was Never About Unlawful Migration—Attacks on Legal Immigration Harm America
The Administration has dismantled lawful immigration pathways wholesale, severely damaging our economy and national security, upending lives, and growing the undocumented population. This brief explores the harm these policies cause—and how Congress can create a better immigration system.
Client Flyer: Birthright Citizenship Executive Order—What You Need to Know
AILA provides a flyer to inform your clients of the Executive Order on birthright citizenship, its current status, and its impacts if enacted. The flyer is available as a generic PDF version as well as a Word version you can customize with your firm's information. Please share.
Think Immigration: Birthright Citizenship – America’s Legacy
AILA Member Gunda Brost describes America’s guarantee of birthright citizenship, writing that it “embodies American ideals of equality and opportunity, ensuring that all born here share in the nation’s promise regardless of ancestry.”
USCIS Policy Alert Revising Guidance on Naturalization Civics Educational Requirement
USCIS issued a policy alert (PA-2025-24) updating guidance in the Policy Manual to implement the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test. The guidance applies to applications filed on or after 10/20/25. Feedback is due 11/20/25.
Practice Alert: USCIS Memos on Good Moral Character and Neighborhood Visits for Naturalization
The USCIS Benefits Policy Committee provides this practice alert highlighting recent USCIS policy memos impacting naturalization and considerations members should take in response.
EOIR Policy Memo Canceling OPPM 97-8 on Naturalization Oath Ceremonies
EOIR Acting Deputy Director Roman Chaban issued a policy memo (PM 25-52) rescinding OPPM 97-8, Naturalization Oath Ceremonies, that has been in effect for over 25 years. The memo notes that procedures and guidance in the memo are outdated and no longer needed to perform naturalization ceremonies.
USCIS Policy Alert (PA-2025-22) on Naturalization Guidance for Service Members
USCIS updated guidance for naturalization of former service members in its Policy Manual. Uncharacterized discharges are no longer considered separation “under honorable conditions.” Former service members can no longer receive naturalization services at land ports of entry. Feedback is due 10/9/25.
USCIS Notice of Implementation of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test
USCIS notice that it is reimplementing the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test with modifications. This 2025 Naturalization Civics Test will include fundamentals of American history and government. The test will be administered to those who file applications on or after 10/20/25. (90 FR 45047, 9/18/25)
USCIS Policy Alert (PA-2025-21) on Voter Registration at Naturalization Ceremonies
USCIS issued revised guidance in its Policy Manual clarifying that only state and local election officials will be permitted to offer voter registration services at the end of administrative naturalization ceremonies. This guidance applies to ceremonies held on or after 8/29/25.
USCIS Policy Alert on Good Moral Character, Unlawful Voting, and False Claim to U.S. Citizenship in the Naturalization Context
USCIS updated its policy regarding false claims to U.S. Citizenship and noncitizens who have voted or registered to vote in a U.S. election.
Practice Alert: USCIS Policy Manual Update on False Claims to US Citizenship
On August 20, 2025, USCIS published a policy manual update revising guidance on the false claim to U.S. citizenship ground of inadmissibility providing clarification on the application of the BIA decision in Matter of Zhang. Please see this practice alert for more details.
Think Immigration: Citizenship as a Weapon: Is Denaturalization an Increasing Threat?
Gunda Brost, Past Chair of the AILA IA-NE Chapter, describes how citizenship and denaturalization have been used by nations over human history and what the new actions around denaturalization efforts by the Trump Administration might presage.
USCIS Policy Memorandum on Resuming Personal Investigations of Naturalization Applicants
USCIS announced in a Policy Memorandum (PM-602-0189) that it is resuming personal investigations (also known as neighborhood investigations) of people applying for naturalization, in accordance with section 335(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
USCIS Policy Memorandum on Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard for Naturalization
USCIS issued a policy memorandum (PM-602-0188) on establishing a new good moral character evaluation standard for people applying for naturalization. Going forward, USCIS officers must account for individuals’ positive attributes, not only the absence of misconduct, when making a determination.
USCIS Implementation Plan for Executive Order 14160 Limiting Birthright Citizenship
USCIS implementation plan for EO 14160, which limits birthright citizenship to children of citizens or LPRs, if implementation is allowed to proceed. It defines “unlawfully present” and “lawful but temporary” presence and addresses the status of children born to mothers with lawful temporary status.
Policy Brief: Denaturalization and the Administration’s Targeting of U.S. Citizens
On June 11, 2025, DOJ issued a memorandum that included denaturalization as a top enforcement priority for its civil division. This policy brief analyzes the implications of that memorandum and recent statements by the President that point to the expansion and weaponization of denaturalization.
Become a Citizen: Get Information on the Naturalization Journey
This page is for individuals interested in becoming U.S. citizens. Find information about obtaining assistance with naturalization within your community, including a list of upcoming Citizenship Day events.
National Immigration Forum Fact Sheet: Denaturalization
National Immigration Forum provides a fact sheet on denaturalization, including the main reasons people can be denaturalized, limits on denaturalization, denaturalization of military service members and veterans, impacts on family members, concerns around broad denaturalization efforts, and more.
Federal Judge Issues Class Certification and PI Blocking EO on Birthright Citizenship
A federal judge granted certification to a nationwide class of children born in the U.S. and issued a preliminary injunction (PI) against EO 14160, which denies birthright citizenship. The PI is stayed for 7 days to allow the Administration to appeal. (Barbara et al. v. Trump et al., 7/10/25)
Think Immigration: The Fourteenth Amendment Survives in 22 States: Trump v. CASA, Inc. Call to Action!
Jeremy L. McKinney, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, and Brian S. Green team up on this blog post detailing what the SCOTUS decision on universal injunctions means for the fight to preserve birthright citizenship.