Immigration rights advocates say the new policy aims to threaten ‘some of the most vulnerable’ in American society.
“Corrective actions are being taken now to ensure that those who are present in the United States are eligible to remain here,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Tuesday.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies reported on Monday that they had received a government memo ordering a review of more than 230,000 refugees who were legally resettled in the country under former President Joe Biden.
The memorandum, signed by Joseph Edlow, director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said refugees who are found to fail to meet resettlement standards will have their legal status revoked.
“Given these concerns, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive review and re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, through February 20, 2025, is necessary,” the memo said.
“When appropriate, USCIS will also review and re-interview refugees admitted outside this time frame.”
In 2024, the US will admit more than 100,000 refugees. The major countries of origin of refugees were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria.
Unlike asylum seekers, who apply for protection after arriving in the US, refugees apply for legal status while outside the country.
They are allowed to enter the US with the assumption that they will be long-term residents, safe from persecution in their home countries.
Refugee admissions also provides a path to U.S. citizenship, with newcomers able to apply for legal permanent residence one year after arrival in the country.
Applicants for refugee admission undergo several levels of screening and interviews. This process often begins with a third party – usually the United Nations – by referring them to the US refugee admissions program.
Then, US immigration officials rigorously screen applicants, who must show that they have suffered persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, or membership in a particular social group.
Sharif Ali, president of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), said refugees are the most scrutinized immigrants in the country.
“This order is another in a long series of efforts to intimidate some of the most vulnerable members of our communities by threatening their lawful status, desensitizing them to the egregious conduct of immigration enforcement agencies, and putting them through an arduous and potentially re-traumatizing process,” Ely said in a statement.
Mark Hatfield, president of humanitarian organization HIAS, called the Trump administration’s move “unnecessary, cruel and wasteful.” His group helps refugees new to America.
“Refugees are already scrutinized more than any other group of immigrants,” Hatfield told Reuters.
Trump drastically reduced refugee admissions during his first term and dismantled the program after returning to the White House in January.
The second Trump administration set a historic low of 7,500 as the refugee admissions limit for the next year.
The president also ordered a program to resettle “predominantly” white South Africans who he says face discrimination by their government.
Overall, Trump has emphasized restricting new arrivals to the US and cracking down on non-citizens in the country.
<a href