Donald Trump deals another blow to America’s refugee program. His government has ordered that the cases of more than 200,000 people admitted during former President Joe Biden’s tenure be reviewed to determine whether the recipients met eligibility criteria when they were allowed to enter the country, according to an internal memo. The document also orders a halt to all processing of permanent residency applications for refugees who have entered under Democratic administration.
The memo, signed by the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and dated last Friday, argues that during the four years of the Biden administration, “convenience” and “quantity” have taken priority over the “detailed selection and vetting” of applicants. “Given these concerns, USCIS has determined that a thorough review and re-interview of all refugees admitted between January 20, 2021 and February 20, 2025 is warranted,” the document reads. During that period, more than 230,000 refugees were admitted to the United States.
“If appropriate, USCIS will screen and re-interview refugees admitted outside of this time frame,” the document adds. If the agency determines that a person does not meet the requirements to enter the country as a refugee, their status will be revoked and they will have no “right of appeal” against the USCIS decision.
Refugees must demonstrate that they have been persecuted or feared persecution in their countries of origin for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinions or membership of a particular social group. Before entering the United States they undergo a rigorous selection process, which usually lasts several years.
Once admitted, the law establishes that you must apply for a residence card (green card) one year after you arrive in the country and usually five years after that you can apply for citizenship. However, under this new order, those who are about to receive their green card After entering the country during the Biden presidency, they will have their trials suspended and the cases of those who have already received them will be reopened.
The directive comes after Trump slashed refugee admissions to historic lows. In October, the president set a cap of just 7,500 refugees for the 2026 fiscal year, the lowest limit in the history of the program created in 1980. And most of the available places are reserved for white South Africans of Afrikaner origin.
The president has consistently criticized the refugee program. After dramatically reducing the number of refugees during his first term, upon returning to the White House in January he signed an executive order indefinitely suspending refugee resettlement in the United States. The order stated that the country had been “inundated with record levels of migration” and that a further influx of refugees would be “detrimental to the interests” of the nation.
