Overview
- An internal memo signed Nov. 21 by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow directs a comprehensive review and re-interview of all refugees admitted from Jan. 20, 2021, to Feb. 20, 2025.
- USCIS immediately halted processing and approvals of refugee-based green-card applications for that cohort, with termination of refugee status possible for those found ineligible.
- The re-interviews will revisit eligibility, including past persecution claims, the persecutor bar, and other potential inadmissibilities, with USCIS preparing a priority list within three months.
- Reporting estimates the policy could affect roughly 200,000 to 235,000 people, following increased admissions under Biden that included large numbers from the DRC, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Syria.
- Refugee advocates including HIAS and IRAP condemned the move as harmful and wasteful, and they signal likely legal challenges as the administration maintains a sharply reduced admissions cap of 7,500 with narrow preferences.