By HAN News Desk
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to launch a sweeping review of all refugees admitted to the United States during President Joe Biden’s term, according to an internal government memo obtained by the Associated Press on Monday. The move marks the latest in a series of actions aimed at reshaping — and significantly restricting — a refugee resettlement program that for decades offered protection to people fleeing war, persecution, and humanitarian crises.
The proposed review is expected to create widespread uncertainty and fear among nearly 200,000 refugees who were resettled inside the United States between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025. Legal experts and refugee advocacy groups anticipate an avalanche of court challenges, describing the plan as an unprecedented effort to undermine long-standing humanitarian commitments.
The internal memo, signed Friday by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing “speed” and “high numbers” over what it called “rigorous vetting and detailed screening.” As a result, the memo states, a “comprehensive re-evaluation” and mandatory re-interview process will be initiated for every refugee admitted during the specified period.
According to the document, USCIS will produce a priority list within three months, identifying which individuals will be summoned first for re-interviews.
Refugee rights organizations reacted sharply to the memo, warning that the measures could destabilize the lives of tens of thousands of families who had already undergone some of the most stringent security screenings of any group entering the U.S.
“Refugees are typically the most thoroughly vetted category of people allowed into the United States. They often wait years for approval,” said one advocate.
Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at HIAS, condemned the plan, calling it “deeply troubling” and “one of the most harmful actions the administration has taken against people seeking to rebuild their lives.”
The memo also announces an immediate suspension of green card approvals for refugees resettled during the Biden period. Even refugees who have already received permanent residency could be subject to review, the document says.
If USCIS determines that an individual should not have been recognized as a refugee, they will have no right to appeal that finding within USCIS. However, if their case is referred to immigration court, they may argue their claim before a judge.
The latest actions continue the Trump administration’s broader effort to overhaul U.S. immigration systems. Earlier this year, the administration temporarily froze the refugee program and later introduced a restrictive admissions framework, capping arrivals at 7,500 per year, with a heavy preference for white South Africans — the lowest ceiling since the program was created in 1980.
The Biden administration, by contrast, admitted 185,640 refugees between October 2021 and September 2024, with the largest numbers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Syria.
Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), condemned the new policy in a statement Monday afternoon, calling it “both cruel and extraordinarily wasteful.”
“Refugees have already undergone extensive security scrutiny before they ever set foot in the United States,” Aly said. “Beyond the sheer inhumanity of this effort, re-interviewing 200,000 people who have peacefully lived in our communities for years will be a massive and unnecessary drain on government resources.”
IRAP is already involved in litigation challenging the administration’s earlier decision to halt refugee admissions.
Refugees admitted to the United States are required to apply for a green card one year after arrival and are typically eligible for citizenship after five years. The memo suggests that even those who have progressed through these stages may find their status uncertain.
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For now, tens of thousands of resettled refugees await further clarity, as the administration moves forward with what advocates describe as one of the largest and most disruptive reassessments of refugee status in U.S. history.
