DST News: The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping review of every refugee admitted to the United States during President Joe Biden’s tenure, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. The move marks a significant escalation in efforts to tighten refugee policies, a program that for decades has offered protection to people fleeing conflict and persecution.
If carried out, the reassessment could generate deep anxiety among the roughly 200,000 refugees who entered the country during those years. Legal challenges are also expected from rights groups, who described the initiative as another example of what they view as the administration’s harsh approach to vulnerable migrants.
The memo, dated Friday and signed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow, argues that the Biden administration prioritized speed and higher admission numbers over “thorough screening and vetting.” Edlow wrote that this justifies a full audit — including new interviews — for all refugees admitted between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025. A preliminary list of individuals to be re-interviewed is expected within 90 days.
Advocacy groups pushed back, noting that refugees already undergo some of the most intensive background checks of anyone entering the United States, often waiting years before receiving approval.
The memo also halts green card approvals for refugees admitted during that period. It states that if officials decide someone was wrongly granted refugee status, the individual will have no administrative right to appeal — though they may challenge the decision in immigration court if removal proceedings begin. Even refugees who already obtained permanent residency will face review, according to the document.
“USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused,” Edlow wrote.
Refugees must apply for permanent residency one year after arrival and can typically seek U.S. citizenship five years later.
USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This latest action follows earlier steps that dramatically scaled back the refugee program. Earlier this year, the administration paused admissions and later set an annual cap of just 7,500 — largely white South African applicants — marking the lowest ceiling since the program began in 1980. The broader immigration crackdown aligns with the administration’s pledge to expand deportations of undocumented migrants.
Under Biden, the U.S. admitted 185,640 refugees from October 2021 through September 2024. Admissions surpassed 100,000 last year, with arrivals mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria.
Refugee organizations condemned the planned review, warning it will retraumatize people who have already undergone extensive security screening.
“This plan is shockingly ill-conceived,” said Naomi Steinberg, vice president for policy and advocacy at HIAS. “It’s another sign of the administration’s cold-hearted treatment of people who are working hard to rebuild their lives and contribute to the communities they now call home.”
The memo indicates that re-interviews will reexamine the original basis for granting refugee status, including past persecution claims, fears of future harm, and any potential grounds of inadmissibility.
Sharif Aly, president of the International Refugee Assistance Project, also criticized the move, saying refugees are “already the most highly vetted immigrants in the United States.”
“Beyond the immense cruelty, reviewing 200,000 people who have lived peacefully in our communities for years is an extraordinary misuse of government resources,” he said.
Source: Africanews.com
