Naturalization Policy in the First Year of the Trump Administration: What Changed and What to Expect

*This brief was updated in March 2026 to reflect new data.*

During the first year of this Trump administration, naturalization has faced a series of policy and practice changes that have made accessing U.S. citizenship more difficult. With approximately nine million eligible-to-naturalize lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in the United States, understanding these developments is critical to ensure future access to U.S. citizenship.   

This brief offers an overview of a few key policy changes affecting naturalization over the last year, examines available naturalization data, and highlights emerging trends to watch in the year ahead.