Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Trump administration is preparing to review every refugee admitted to the United States during the Biden years, according to a memo shared with several media organisations on November 23. The move marks the latest blow for a programme that has, for decades, offered protection to people fleeing war and persecution.
Nearly 200,000 refugees who arrived during that period are expected to face confusion and anxiety as the process begins. Advocacy groups say the review is likely to be met with legal challenges, arguing it reflects what they describe as a pattern of “cold-hearted treatment” towards people trying to rebuild their lives.
The memo, signed by Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and dated November 21, stated that the previous administration put “expediency” and “quantity” ahead of thorough screening.
According to the document, USCIS will conduct a full review and “re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.” A priority list of individuals set to be re-interviewed will be created within three months. The memo also freezes green card approvals for refugees who entered during that timeframe. The move comes against a broader backdrop of tighter immigration control. The administration has repeatedly pledged to increase deportations of undocumented immigrants and has stepped up enforcement measures across several programmes.
Between October 2021 and September 2024, the Biden administration admitted 185,640 refugees. More than 100,000 arrived last year, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria.
