Trump Administration Orders Review of Refugees Admitted During Biden Era, Puts Green Cards on Hold

An internal federal memo dated Nov. 21 and signed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow directs agency staff to review the records of refugees admitted to the United States between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2025. The review may include reinterviews and is intended to determine whether individuals met the legal definition of a refugee at the time of admission and whether any legal barriers would render them ineligible for permanent residency.

Scope and immediate effects

The memo orders a review of all refugee cases from the specified period and places an indefinite hold on all pending green card (permanent residency) applications filed by refugees admitted during that timeframe. Under U.S. law, refugees are eligible to apply for permanent residency one year after admission; the memo pauses that process for those affected.

Consequences for applicants and families

Edlow's guidance states that denials of green card petitions in these cases will not be appealable. If a "principal" refugee—the primary applicant in a family unit—is denied, dependent family members listed on that application may also be denied. The memo says those individuals could be stripped of refugee status and, in some cases, placed in removal proceedings.

Standards and rationale

To qualify as a refugee, an applicant must demonstrate they suffered persecution or had a well-founded fear of persecution abroad on the basis of race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The memo instructs officers to reexamine whether admissions met those legal standards and to look for any disqualifying factors under immigration law.

Edlow wrote that the prior administration "prioritized expediency, quantity, and admissions over quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting."

Context and recent policy moves

Federal data show roughly 233,000 refugees entered the United States between February 2021 and January 2025, a period that largely overlaps with the Biden administration. The refugee resettlement program was paused shortly after President Trump returned to office, with limited exceptions granted in specific cases.

Last month, the administration announced a historic cap of 7,500 refugee admissions for the current fiscal year and said those slots would be "primarily allocated" to Afrikaners and others it describes as victims of illegal or unjust discrimination. South African officials have rejected claims that Afrikaners are being persecuted.

Before the program pause, refugees commonly spent years in third countries undergoing medical evaluations, security screenings and interviews prior to admission. The memo argues that prior vetting in many cases did not meet the standards the current administration now expects.

The Department of Homeland Security was contacted for comment.