Global Refuge Responds to Administration’s Plan to Re-Vet Lawfully Admitted Refugees

Global Refuge is deeply concerned by reports that the Trump administration's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will review and potentially re-interview the cases of more than 200,000 refugees who were lawfully admitted to the United States between 2021 and early 2025, while also halting the processing of their applications for lawful permanent residency.

“This unprecedented decision introduces profound uncertainty into the lives of families who have endured and legally demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. “It risks destabilizing families who have been rebuilding their lives here, working in our communities, sending their children to school, and contributing to the country they now call home.”

Refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program undergo the most extensive security screening in the world before ever setting foot on American soil. Once approved, they enter with lawful status and, under federal law, are required to apply for permanent residency after one year. The administration’s reported directive would interrupt this legal process and summon already-vetted refugees back into interviews that many will experience as retraumatizing.

“To relitigate cases that have already met the demanding security standards of our refugee program is a dramatic reversal of long-standing practice,” added Vignarajah. “Moreover, a review of this scale would divert scarce government resources toward duplicative work, rather than efforts that genuinely strengthen our nation’s security and humanitarian leadership.”

Global Refuge, which has welcomed more than 800,000 newcomers over its 85-year history, will work closely with its network of resettlement partners, legal staff, and community partners to support those who may be affected. The organization will continue to monitor the implementation of the policy, advocate for transparency and fairness, and ensure that refugees receive accurate information and access to assistance.

“Time and again, we have been inspired by the extraordinary commitment shown by thousands of sponsors and community partners who have opened their homes, shared their resources, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with families,” Vignarajah said. “As we face this moment of uncertainty, our commitment remains the same: to stand with those seeking safety, to uphold the principles of due process, and to ensure that our nation’s promise of protection endures.”