The Trump administration is planning to reinterview more than 200,000 refugees who were admitted to the United States under former President Joe Biden.
According to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press and signed by Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), officials say the previous administration prioritized "expediency" and "quantity" over more "detailed screening and vetting."
The memo says that approach warrants a full review and a reinterview of all refugees admitted from Jan. 20, 2021, to Feb. 20, 2025, and when appropriate, USCIS will also review and reinterview refugees admitted outside this timeframe, according to the memo.
Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has largely halted refugee admissions. Last month, outlets reported that the annual refugee cap had been set at 7,500, with most of those slots going to white South Africans. The figure marks a steep drop from the 125,000 refugees admitted last year under Biden.
The Associated Press also reported that the memo also mentioned green card approvals for refugees who arrived during that period were immediately paused, and cases of those who have already received green cards will be reviewed again.
The new USCIS directive states that if the agency determines a person should not have qualified as a refugee, that individual will not have the right to appeal the decision. According to the memo, individuals placed in removal proceedings can then appeal their cases in immigration court.
"USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused," Edlow wrote. Reports say the agency expects to finalize a priority list within 90 days.
Advocates and activists have spoken out against the new reinterview plan, saying it will retraumatize people who already endured extensive screening. They note that refugees typically undergo some of the most rigorous vetting of anyone seeking entry to the United States and often wait years before they can resettle.
"Refugees admitted under the U.S. refugee resettlement program have undergone some of the most rigorous vetting of any immigrant lawfully admitted into the United States, yet this sweeping reinterview initiative is nothing less than a calculated effort to strip lawful status from thoroughly vetted, law abiding people," said Myal Greene, president of World Relief, in a statement cited by The Hill.
Greene said the proposal is a "moral and ethical betrayal of due process," arguing that the Trump administration is lowering the standard for refugee admissions to include Afrikaners and other groups who do not meet the threshold applied to previous refugee populations.
Trump officials have defended the overhaul and argued that the prior administration did not sufficiently vet the people who entered the country.
Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, told CNN that the Biden administration's "reckless approach undermined the integrity of our immigration system and jeopardized the safety and security of the American people. Corrective action is now being taken to ensure those who are present in the United States deserve to be here."
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