Photo: iStock Editorial
Members of the Trump Administration and many members of the MAGA base are continuing to call for crackdowns not just on illegal immigration, but also on much stricter standards for those seeking to be not only immigrants, but naturalized citizens.
Those who support the idea say that it would restore the value of American citizenship. That includes former Immigration Judge Andrew Arthur, who said of citizenship, "It shouldn't be something someone earns by checking a box. It should be something someone earns by showing fidelity to the principles that bind us together."
Arthur also says that strengthening the citizenship standards would help strengthen our national security and added that, "This is not even an option; this should be mandatory, and something that we should have been doing for decades. This shouldn't be a novel idea."
He says that when he used to perform naturalization ceremonies as an immigration judge, sometimes as few as 60% of those taking the oath were doing so because they really wanted to live in America as Americans.
Arthur says that needs to be fixed. According to him, "We want to make sure that 100% of the people that raise their hand and say that rather lengthy oath are people who want to live in this country, who want to contribute to this country, and make sure that we have another 250 years."