www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 As President Donald Trump’s second administration has toughened immigration policy, pausing visas from 75 countries and halting citizenship ceremonies for residents from 19 countries including Afghanistan and Venezuela, chilling effects are being felt locally. For over 40 years, An McDowell has taught hundreds of adult students in classes preparing for the U.S. citizenship exam. Her classroom at the Pacific Grove Adult School is empty when class starts on Monday afternoon, Feb. 23. She waits for 15 minutes before the first student walks in. A few minutes later, a second student arrives. It’s a contrast to this time two years ago, when eight students participated in a Saturday session. Kristen Arps, P.G. Adult School program coordinator, says attendance has slowed down since last summer. “If it continues to be this low, we might not have as many sections,” Arps adds. During the 2024-2025 school year, 53 students took the class and 20 obtained their citizenship. This year, 33 students are enrolled and so far, four have become citizens. Salinas Adult School also reports a similar trend in participation. The decrease contrasts to the early days of Trump’s first administration, when there was an influx of students, Arps says: “It was a big motivator.” Since October of last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented changes to its civic test, increasing the number of questions they need to study from 100 to 128. A handful appear on the oral exam; now 12 correct answers out of 20 questions are needed to pass, up from six out of 10. USCIS also eliminated several short-answer questions about U.S. holidays and geography and added more difficult “why” questions. McDowell, who has taught citizenship since the 1980s, says it is normal to see fluctuations but notes the new test is more challenging, especially if English is a second language. With the previous exam, “I felt confident that I could prepare them for this,” McDowell says. “Now, if students come from the first class [English], I may tell them to wait to apply.” The Santa Cruz Immigration Project provides free or low-cost legal immigration services. The number of applications the nonprofit processed in January and February for naturalization dropped by 85 percent compared to the previous year. Claudia Magallon, directing attorney for the organization, says preparing an application can be a lengthy process, up to a year. Steps include filing U.S. Freedom of Information Act requests with agencies like USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI. “Right now, when someone applies, it reopens their whole immigration history for review,” Magallon says, noting it can uncover undetected and deportable offenses. Actions that weren’t necessarily problems before have become flags, Magallon says, like crossing the border with family members. “As of two years ago, a lot of those cases started getting flagged for potential smuggling,” she says. Border Land Fewer local residents are attending citizenship classes and applying for naturalization. By Celia Jiménez Since she has been teaching U.S. citizenship classes starting in the 1980s, An McDowell says she’s seen fluctuations in the number of students, but the current dip is particularly low. NEWS “It reopens their whole immigration history for review.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Camp Quien Sabe Overnight Camp >> Whispering Pines Day Camp >> Tiny Tots Summer Camp >> Summer Fun Playground Program >> Sports Camps >> Specialty Camps >> LEGO® Camps >> Gymnastics Programs >> And so much more! SUMMER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! MONTEREY.GOV/REC WHERE SUMMER BUILDS MORE THAN MEMORIES. Scan here for more info + online registration. Whispering Pines Day Camp and Camp Quien Sabe Overnight Camp ADVENTURE good vibes good vibes v Camp Counselors at Summer Programs LEADERSHIP POSITIVITY CONFIDENCE THE CITY OF MONTEREY friendship friendship f h COMMUNITY
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