Trump Administration Orders Review, Reinterviews of Biden Era Refugees
A newly obtained memo directs U.S. immigration authorities to reinterview nearly 200,000 refugees admitted during the Biden years, a move that immediately suspended green card approvals for that group and threatens long term stability for many families. The directive raises legal questions, is likely to face court challenges, and could reverberate through diplomatic and humanitarian networks that coordinate refugee resettlement worldwide.
A memorandum signed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Joseph Edlow and dated Friday instructs agency staff to conduct a sweeping review and reinterviews of refugees admitted to the United States from January 20, 2021, through February 20, 2025. The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, asserted that during the Biden administration “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritized over “detailed screening and vetting,” and called for a “re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.”
The directive immediately suspended approvals of green card applications for refugees who arrived in that period, and said the agency will compile a list of people to be reinterviewed within three months. It also said that if USCIS determines a person should not have qualified for refugee status, that person “has no right to appeal.” The memo noted that those found unsuitable could still be placed in removal proceedings and argue their case before an immigration judge. The agency added that even refugees who already received their green cards would be subject to review. “USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused,” Edlow wrote.
Refugee resettlement advocates warned that the review will sow confusion and fear among the many families who underwent years of screening to reach the United States. The Biden administration admitted 185,640 refugees between October 2021 and September 2024, and advocates described the new review as part of a pattern of restrictive policies that critics called “cold-hearted treatment” of people trying to rebuild their lives. Legal groups signaled they will assess options for litigation, arguing the memo may run afoul of statutory protections and established administrative procedure.
The move follows other significant shifts in U.S. refugee policy this year, when the administration suspended admissions and later set the refugee ceiling at 7,500 entrants for fiscal planning, a historic low that drew international concern. Refugee resettlement is coordinated through a network of federal agencies, nonprofit sponsors and host nations, and changes in U.S. policy have consequences for partners abroad that facilitate the screening and movement of people fleeing persecution.
International legal scholars and humanitarian organizations underscored that refugee status is typically determined after multilayered interviews and security checks, and they cautioned that broad retrospective reviews could destabilize global resettlement partnerships. Governments and aid agencies that worked to identify and vet refugees for years may find resettlement pipelines disrupted, complicating diplomacy in regions where displacement is already acute.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately comment beyond the memo. For refugees and their sponsors the practical effects will be immediate and personal, affecting work authorization, family stability, and the path to naturalization that ordinarily begins with a green card application one year after arrival and leads to eligibility for citizenship after a further five years.
The policy shift marks a stark departure from post admissions practice and sets the stage for high stakes legal battles and international reactions, as the United States reassesses a program that has for decades been a central pillar of its humanitarian engagement.
