The Trump administration has launched a sweeping review of approximately 200,000 refugees admitted during President Joe Biden’s term, according to an internal U.S. memorandum obtained by Reuters.
The memo, signed on November 21 by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joe Edlow, halts all processing of permanent residence applications for refugees who arrived between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025.
It further directs that refugee status may be terminated for individuals already in the United States if they are found not to meet eligibility criteria.
The document instructs USCIS to conduct re-interviews of all refugees admitted during that period. “A comprehensive review … is warranted,” the memo states, citing concerns that the Biden administration may have prioritised “expediency, quantity and admissions over quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting.”
Refugee advocates have sharply criticised the measure. Mark Hetfield, president of the resettlement agency HIAS, described the vetting programme as “unnecessary, cruel and wasteful,” noting that refugees already undergo more scrutiny than nearly any other immigrant group.
The review is part of a broader immigration crackdown under President Trump, who earlier set the refugee admissions cap for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500, the lowest in modern U.S. history.
