WASHINGTON, 25 November (H.S.): The Trump administration has ordered an extensive review of all refugees admitted to the United States during the Biden administration, a move that could impact approximately 200,000 individuals. An internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo, dated November 21 and signed by Director Joe Edlow, outlines a plan to re-interview all refugees who entered the country between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025.

The directive also halts the processing of permanent residency applications for refugees who arrived during this period. The memo asserts that the Biden administration may have prioritized expediency, quantity, and admissions over quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting, creating potential security risks.

The USCIS has determined that a comprehensive review is necessary and will terminate the refugee status of individuals found not to meet the required criteria.This policy represents a significant escalation of the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration and a sharp reversal of the policies of former President Joe Biden, whose administration welcomed over 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024.

Upon taking office in January 2025, President Trump had already frozen refugee admissions.The memo has been met with strong criticism from immigrant advocacy groups. Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, a refugee assistance organization, called the new vetting program unnecessary, cruel and wasteful, emphasizing that refugees already undergo a more rigorous vetting process than any other group of immigrants to the U.S. .

The review will be a massive undertaking for USCIS and is expected to face legal challenges.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar