The Trump administration has ordered a comprehensive review of all refugees admitted to the United States under the previous Biden administration, impacting an estimated 200,000 to 233,000 individuals. This unprecedented move, outlined in an internal memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), follows heightened concerns regarding the adequacy of vetting processes, particularly after an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under a Biden-era initiative was identified as a suspect in a recent shooting incident. Processing of all immigration requests for Afghan nationals has been halted indefinitely.
Critics have raised pointed questions about the Biden administration's vetting procedures. Benjamin Weingarten, for instance, questioned, > "Did the Biden administration screen this alleged jihadi for Islamic supremacist ideology, anti-Americanism, and/or ties to terrorist groups? Was he a 'known wolf?'" These inquiries reflect broader concerns about the thoroughness of security screenings for new arrivals.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the Biden administration "accelerated refugee admissions from terror and gang-prone countries, prioritizing sheer numbers over rigorous vetting." This approach, she argued, "undermined the integrity of our immigration system and jeopardized the safety and security of the American people." Reports have cited instances, including a man allegedly involved in the October 7 massacre living in Lafayette, Louisiana, due to allegedly fraudulent green card claims and failed vetting.
The review, which may involve re-interviewing refugees admitted between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025, aims to assess potential national security vulnerabilities. The decision was catalyzed by the arrest of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 via "Operation Allies Welcome," as the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. President Trump labeled the incident an "act of terror" and called for a re-examination of all Afghan immigrants who entered during the Biden years.
Refugee advocacy groups have strongly condemned the review, arguing that refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program undergo some of the most rigorous vetting of any immigrants. Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project, stated that the action is a "bad-faith attempt to revoke protection from those who need it" and will "retraumatize people who have already gone through years of security vetting." They maintain that such individuals have already passed extensive, multi-agency security checks.
The FBI has also expressed increasing concern about the potential for a coordinated attack in the U.S., similar to the ISIS-K attack in Russia. This sentiment, coupled with incidents like the arrests of eight Tajikistan nationals with alleged ISIS ties after crossing the southern border, underscores the ongoing national debate about immigration security and vetting protocols.