In a significant move for election integrity, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its policy to prohibit green card holders who have voted or attempted to register to vote from obtaining citizenship. The new policy also initiates deportation for those who commit voter fraud or falsely claim U.S. citizenship, based on a failure of good moral character (GMC) requirements.
For context, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stressed that illegal voting undermines elections and tied his comments to the Trump administration’s strict immigration policy. This move follows President Trump’s March executive order on election integrity, and officials noted that DHS has arrested over 359,000 migrants and removed 332,000.
Speaking to the media, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stressed the importance of this policy change. He stated, “Illegal voting undermines the will of the American people and threatens the legitimacy of our elections.”
Building on this point, he connected the comments to Trump’s broader views. Tragesser noted, “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are making changes to prevent and punish aliens who voted illegally in our elections from gaining U.S. citizenship.” Adding, “Aliens who facilitate or perpetuate illegal voting face swift and severe consequences.”
In any case, on March 25, 2025, Trump issued an executive order to address widespread problems with voting. The document, titled PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS, laid out the administration’s plans.
The EO reads, “Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
Continuing to lay out the case, the document stated, “Under the Constitution, State governments must safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error.”
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Explaining the issue, Trump stated, “Yet the United States has not adequately enforced Federal election requirements that, for example, prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day or prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote.”
Citing legal precedent, the order explained that, “‘the day by which ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials.’ Yet numerous States fail to comply with those laws by counting ballots received after Election Day. This is like allowing persons who arrive 3 days after Election Day, perhaps after a winner has been declared, to vote in person at a former voting precinct, which would be absurd.”
Describing a confident vision, the executive order said, “Above all, elections must be honest and worthy of the public trust. That requires voting methods that produce a voter-verifiable paper record allowing voters to efficiently check their votes to protect against fraud or mistake. Election-integrity standards must be modified accordingly.”
Specifically, the order requires voters to prove citizenship by, “‘Documentary proof of United States citizenship’ shall include a copy of: (A) a United States passport; (B) an identification document … that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States; (C) an official military identification card that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States; or (D) a valid Federal or State government-issued photo identification “