US to retroactively re-vet refugees as Trump administration tightens immigration stance

The Trump administration has confirmed it will retroactively vet refugees already admitted to the United States, a move that has alarmed immigrant rights groups and humanitarian organisations.

“Corrective action is now being taken to ensure those who are present in the United States deserve to be here,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on Tuesday.

The decision follows reports by AP and Reuters that a government memo orders a review of more than 230,000 refugees legally resettled under former President Joe Biden. The document, signed by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, states that refugees found to have failed resettlement standards could have their legal status revoked.

“Given these concerns, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive review and a re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025, is warranted,” the memo said. “When appropriate, USCIS will also review and re-interview refugees admitted outside this timeframe.”

In 2024 alone, more than 100,000 refugees were admitted to the US, with the largest groups coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria. Refugees differ from asylum seekers in that they apply from outside the US and are granted entry on the assumption of long-term safety, legal stability and an eventual path to citizenship.

The process is already one of the most rigorous in US immigration policy, involving multiple layers of screening, interviews and security checks, often starting with referrals from the United Nations.

Sharif Aly, president of the International Refugee Assistance Project, criticised the move as punitive.

“This order is one more in a long line of efforts to bully some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, by threatening their lawful status, rendering them vulnerable to the egregious conduct of immigration enforcement agencies, and putting them through an onerous and potentially re-traumatizing process,” he said.

Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, called the policy shift “unnecessary, cruel and wasteful”.

“Refugees have already been more vetted than any other group of immigrants,” he told Reuters.

The move fits a broader pattern. Trump has significantly reduced refugee admissions since returning to office, setting next year’s cap at a historic low of 7,500. He has also directed the programme to “primarily” resettle white South Africans, whom he claims face discrimination at home.