In the future, anyone who wants to get a US passport will have to take a much more complex citizenship test. Some of the questions would be difficult for many Americans themselves.
Keith McFadden is a teacher. At the Brooklyn Public Library, she teaches immigrants in New York from all over the world - including people preparing for US citizenship. But now she and her colleagues are forced to revise the content of the preparatory courses for the citizenship tests. The reason: the test for all those who want to get a US passport has become more difficult – with more complexity and more questions, reports the German public broadcaster ARD.
Until now, candidates had to prepare for 100 questions, the answers to which they could memorize. This is now changing: 28 new questions have been added that require much more in-depth knowledge of US history and the workings of the government. In addition, candidates must provide more detailed explanations in their answers.
"The preparation definitely takes more time. That's why we extended the preparatory course for the citizenship test by one week - from eleven to twelve weeks," explains Ketten, quoted by ARD.
Even Americans find it difficult
Why is the US president only allowed to serve two terms? And what does the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution actually mean? These are just two of the 28 new questions in the naturalization test. They often make it difficult for those born in the United States, ARD points out.
Joseph Edlow, appointed by President Donald Trump as director of the USCIS immigration service, claims that the test has been too easy so far. "We are looking for a commitment to the Constitution and an understanding of the responsibilities that come with American citizenship. We want people to be able to actually speak, read and write in English."
Criticisms of the new test
The more difficult US citizenship test must be taken by everyone who has applied for citizenship after October 20. They will now have to answer 20 questions out of a total of 128 - up from ten out of a possible hundred on the test so far.
Nicole Melaku sharply criticizes this change. She is the executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans - a non-governmental organization that advocates for the rights of immigrants. The hurdle to citizenship is higher – especially for the elderly or those who cannot read or write well. “From our perspective, this is an attack on legal immigration,” Melaku says.
A higher barrier to legal immigration
She says the tougher test is just one of many steps the Trump administration is taking to make immigration more difficult – with measurable success.
According to a report by her organization, in the first six months of Trump’s presidency, 10% of citizenship applications were rejected outright. Under Joe Biden, the rate was 8%. Melaku believes the Trump administration’s tightening of the process also has another effect: to deter immigrants who would like to become American citizens. However, this undermines the group's trust in the American government, she emphasizes.
Keton McFadden believes that despite everything, most of her students will be able to pass the exam. However, uncertainty among them has noticeably increased, the ARD publication also says.