The U.S. Administration is set to implement changes to its immigration and naturalization process in October and is hiring “homeland defenders” to conduct interviews with applicants for green cards, work visas, and citizenship.
The changes to the immigration process, announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in September, are scheduled to take effect starting October 20, 2025.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Tuesday the administration is recruiting individuals for these newly branded roles.
In a post shared on X, Miller called on “patriots” to apply, describing the job as one that offers “great pay, flexible hours, stay local,” and involves approving or denying immigration benefits.
“Calling all patriots. USCIS is now hiring ‘HOMELAND DEFENDERS.’ Your job will be to interview applicants for green cards, work visas, and citizenship for approval or denial. Sign up to be a Homeland Defender today!”
— Stephen Miller, via X
President Donald Trump‘s adviser shared a post by the Department of Homeland Security announcing the hiring of homeland defenders and urging applicants to “protect your homeland and defend your culture.”
Calling all patriots. USCIS is now hiring “HOMELAND DEFENDERS.” Your job will be to interview applicants for green cards, work visas and citizenship for approval or denial. Great pay, flexible hours, stay local. Sign up to be a Homeland Defender today! https://t.co/lIWnhHujac
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) September 30, 2025
The DHS post also cited a quote by Calvin Coolidge: “Those who do not want to be partakers of the American spirit ought not to settle in America.”
These announcements come as USCIS prepares to roll out the 2025 naturalization civics test, which will replace the current version starting October 20.
According to the agency, the updated test is part of a broader strategy to restore “integrity” to the immigration system and align it with congressional intent.
“The 2025 test assesses an alien’s understanding of U.S. history and government in line with the statutory requirement and is one of many steps in an ongoing effort to restore integrity to the naturalization process,” A USCIS statement said.
USCIS is overhauling its Naturalization Civics Test to ensure that citizenship is reserved for aliens who fully embrace our values and principles as a nation.
As a first step, USCIS is publishing the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test, which will better assess an alien’s… pic.twitter.com/HufFgfFrVE
— USCIS (@USCIS) September 17, 2025
In a note, the Administration said the USCIS is “reimplementing the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test, which was originally announced on November 13, 2020, with some modifications (henceforth “2025 Naturalization Civics Test”). This 2025 Naturalization Civics Test satisfies the statutory requirement for aliens to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of American history, and of the principles and form of government of the United States in pursuit of naturalization.”
The new procedures will introduce more rigorous background checks and a broader evaluation of an applicant’s “good moral character.”
This includes not only checking for criminal activity but also assessing positive contributions to American society. USCIS officers may consider letters from employers, colleagues, neighbors, or community members, and in some cases conduct “neighborhood investigations.”
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Acts of Unlawful voting, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, or registering to vote unlawfully can disqualify applicants from meeting good moral character requirements.
According to USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser, these measures ensure that only qualified applicants are granted U.S. citizenship:
“American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation. These critical changes are the first of many.”
The agency has also reinstated robust vetting protocols and is applying stricter scrutiny to applicants requesting disability exemptions from the English language and civics test requirements.
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Huma Nisar is Associate Editor at Views and News. She also writes opinion articles on health, society and diet.
