Green Card Freeze For Refugees? What Trump’s New Order Means For Biden-Era Immigrants

The Donald Trump administration plans to review the status of all refugees who were admitted during the Joe Biden years, according to the Associated Press. The review targets nearly 2,00,000 people who came to the US fleeing war and persecution, the news agency reported, citing a memo. 

The report added that the move is likely to result in fear and confusion among refugees and may face legal challenges. This is being seen as a part of the broader efforts by Trump to tighten immigration rules.

According to the memo dated Nov. 21, the Trump administration is of the view that during the Biden years, “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritised over thorough vetting. The memo, signed by the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, calls for a full review and “re-interview of all refugees admitted from Jan. 20, 2021, to Feb. 20, 2025.

The authorities have cited security and screening concerns to justify the move, the AP report added. The authorities are likely to conduct a re-interview within three months after compiling a list of such people, as per the report. The memo also immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who came to the US during the stated time period, the AP report added.

The memo also stated that if USCIS finds that someone shouldn’t have qualified as a refugee, they “have no right to appeal”. Although such candidates will be able to contest their removal in an immigration court.

The authorities also plan to review green card holders, as they seek to ensure that the “refugee program is not abused.” 

Under the laws, refugees must apply for a green card one year after arrival and can apply for citizenship after five years. 

“USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused,” Edlow wrote.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration suspended the refugee program and later capped entries at 7,500. 

During the Biden years, 1,85,640 refugees were admitted from October 2021 to September 2024. Last year, admissions topped 1,00,000, with the largest groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria. 

USCIS expects to have a priority list for re-interviews within 90 days, Edlow wrote. His language points to a rigorous revisiting of why refugee status was granted in the first place.

“Testimony will include, but is not limited to, the circumstances establishing past persecution or a well-founded fear for principal refugees, the persecutor bar, and any other potential inadmissibilities,” his remarks in the memo were cited by AP.