FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2026
Contact: Timothy Young | timothy[dot]young at globalrefuge[dot]org
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally announced an interim final rule, which will take immediate effect upon its publication tomorrow, cutting the time refugees have to contest the termination of their status from 30 days to 10 days. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge, issued the following statement in response:
“These families did everything asked of them. They submitted to interviews, background checks, and years of waiting abroad, only setting foot on U.S. soil once government officials approved their applications. Now DHS wants to revisit those decisions on a ten-day clock, a notice period wholly insufficient to find a lawyer, translate documents, or get records out of a country they were forced to flee due to conflict or persecution. In some cases, refugees may not even receive the notice before their ten days are up, effectively eliminating their only chance to respond. If the government’s case for termination is strong, it can afford to give people a meaningful chance to challenge it, just as Republican and Democratic administrations alike have done for the past 46 years.”
“The stark reality is that the consequences for families are likely to be severe and swift, including detention, children separated from parents, lost jobs and homes, and interrupted medical care. The families we serve are already anxious, and this rule gives them every reason to be.”
“Unfortunately, this rule change is only the latest in a pattern of actions by this administration targeting lawfully admitted refugees. In January, DHS launched an operation to re-examine thousands of refugee cases. In February, it moved to detain refugees still waiting on green cards, a policy a federal court has since blocked. Now it is speeding up the process for stripping their status. Taken together, these policy changes create the effect of treating refugee protection as a status subject to continual scrutiny, rather than the durable commitment Congress intended.”
“For nearly half a century, Congress has made its intent unmistakably clear: refugee protection is a humanitarian commitment the United States must honor, not a temporary benefit to be revoked on an accelerated timeline. The Refugee Act of 1980 established a durable, stable status precisely so families could rebuild their lives in safety. This rule undermines that congressional intent and threatens to destabilize tens of thousands of families who have already been vetted, admitted, and integrated into communities across the country.”
“We urge Congress to act swiftly. Lawmakers should press DHS to withdraw this rule, demand transparency around its development, and reaffirm the bipartisan commitment to protecting refugees that has guided U.S. policy for decades. Refugee families deserve stability, due process, and the chance to continue contributing to the communities that welcomed them.”
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