Overview
- An internal Nov. 21 USCIS memo directs a comprehensive review and re-interview of refugees admitted between Jan. 20, 2021 and Feb. 20, 2025, a cohort reported at roughly 200,000 to about 235,000 people.
- The order freezes adjustment-of-status processing for that group and says refugee status can be terminated with no appeal within USCIS, potentially affecting spouses and children tied to the principal case.
- USCIS expects to produce a priority list for re-interviews within about 90 days, and some reports note that previously approved green-card holders may also face review.
- DHS officials defend the move as necessary for national security and program integrity, asserting the prior administration prioritized speed over detailed screening.
- Refugee and humanitarian organizations condemn the plan as cruel and a waste of resources, and they signal likely court challenges as the administration maintains a sharply reduced FY2026 cap of 7,500 largely allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa.