Trump releases official message for new US citizens

Daniel Shoer Roth, Miami Herald on Jun 10, 2025

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In a move that contrasts with his administration’s increasingly restrictive immigration policies, President Donald Trump appears in a new official video welcoming those who have just become U.S. citizens.

The video, released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), features a patriotic message from Trump addressed to newly naturalized Americans. It will be played at naturalization ceremonies across the country.

Published on USCIS’s official YouTube channel, the video shows Trump referring to new citizens as part of the “national family,” and calling U.S. citizenship “one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands.”

“With this sacred honor comes the highest responsibility,” Trump says in the recorded message, emphasizing values such as merit, equality of opportunity, respect for the law and individual freedoms.

For immigrants in the United States, obtaining citizenship is the culmination of a long and often burdensome process that grants them new rights and privileges.

A familiar patriotic tone

In an emotional address filled with references to American history and culture, Trump urges new citizens to defend the country’s core values:

“We must fiercely guard the American way of life. We believe in hard work, in the merit system and in government of, by, and for the people.”

He also highlights core constitutional rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to keep and bear arms.

A stark contrast with current immigration policy

While the video is designed to celebrate the achievement of U.S. citizenship, it arrives at a time when the Trump administration has enacted increasingly strict immigration policies.

These include expanded restrictions on asylum, the termination of humanitarian parole programs and new visa requirements targeting citizens from several countries.

“U.S. citizenship is a privilege and reserved for those who respect our laws, culture and history,” said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser in an official statement.

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