FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2026
Contacts:
- Global Refuge: Timothy Young | our email | 443-257-6310
- RCUSA: Meredith Owen | Email
- IRAP: Spencer Tilger | our email
WASHINGTON – Global Refuge, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), issued a joint letter signed by 70 refugee-serving, faith-based, refugee-led, legal services, veterans, and community-based organizations today in calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to rescind an interim final rule that significantly cuts the time refugees have to contest the termination of their refugee status from 30 days to 10.
In a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, the organizations warn that the rule denies refugees any meaningful chance to defend themselves before termination of their status. That includes refugees with limited English, disabilities, or serious medical needs, and those in communities where immigration legal services are already stretched thin. DHS identified about 186,000 “unadjusted” refugees who arrived to the United States between fiscal years 2015 and 2025 who have not yet received their green cards (permanent resident cards). The rule’s own economic analysis concedes that some refugees “could reaffirm their status in 30 days but not in 10 days under this rule.”
At the same time, USCIS has continued its adjudication pause on over 155,000 pending refugee green card applications, leaving resettled refugees in a dangerous bureaucratic trap. In tandem with the frivolous “re-vetting” of already-arrived refugees, the administration is destabilizing decades of precedent and putting new members of our communities in harm’s way.
While the rule went into effect on October 14th, the day it was published, without a notice and comment period, a federal district court has since temporarily blocked the administration from implementing it, and from enforcing termination notices already issued under the shortened deadline. Despite court intervention, immediate executive action is necessary – and Congress should do everything in their power to hold the administration accountable to safeguard refugee communities..
The letter calls on DHS and USCIS to:
- Immediately rescind the rule and ensure refugees have a meaningful opportunity to secure counsel, review the allegations against them, and submit evidence before any termination is finalized;
- Fully resume processing refugee green card applications, and create a way for members of Congress to request expedited processing, particularly for people with severe medical conditions;
- End the re-vetting of refugees who are already among the most thoroughly vetted people to enter the United States; and
- Provide notice and comment before any future rule on refugee status termination or re-vetting takes effect.
“No one can mount a real defense of their legal status in ten days, especially in a second language, without a lawyer, and while potentially having to retrieve records from a country they were forced to flee,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. “These refugees have already cleared the most rigorous vetting the United States requires of anyone. Being welcomed here should not be the start of an endless audit that treats lawfully admitted families as perpetual suspects. A government confident in its case has nothing to lose by giving people a meaningful opportunity to respond. We urge DHS to rescind this rule and restore a fair process for the families it puts at risk.”
“This rule is part of a wholesale attack on the integrity of the refugee system,” said Rricha deCant, Senior Director of Policy and Climate IRAP. “The Trump administration has banned non-white refugees from entering the country, prevented refugees who are already here from being able to obtain green cards, and is now trying to remove their refugee status without due process. These actions are cruel, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
“This rule is not only an affront to our constitutional ideals, but also another way for this administration to terrorize and endanger refugee communities,” said John Slocum, Executive Director, Refugee Council USA. “Time and again, this administration has sought to dehumanize individuals fleeing violence and persecution and destabilize thousands of families who found community through work, school, and volunteership across the U.S. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That requires holding the federal government accountable for its discriminatory and unlawful targeting of refugees. We must denounce any attempt to dismantle access to permanent protection. We urge the administration to rescind this rule, resume processing refugees’ green card applications, and end this wasteful refugee re-vetting effort. And Congress must do everything in its power to safeguard refugees who have been welcomed by communities across the country.”
The full letter and list of signatories is available here.
About Global Refuge
Global Refuge is a nonprofit serving newcomers seeking safety, support, and the opportunity to thrive. We have been a leader in resettlement for over 85 years, dedicated to supporting refugees and other immigrants through advocacy, care, and empowerment to restore a sense of home.
www.globalrefuge.org
About Refugee Council USA
RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.
www.rcusa.org
About the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
www.refugeerights.org
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