The current administration is implementing a new regulation that will significantly decrease the timeframe available for refugees to dispute the termination of their legal status. This change represents another tightening of legal immigration pathways as the White House continues its push for stricter immigration enforcement.
The new policy, which takes effect without undergoing the customary advance public notice-and-comment period, reduces the time refugees have to respond to an official notice of intent to terminate their status from 30 days to only 10 days.
Administration Cites Program Integrity Concerns
According to the newly issued rule, the administration's objective is to "mitigate potential risks" associated with individuals who were granted refugee status but were not, in fact, eligible for it.
Official documents referenced refugees admitted during the previous administration, asserting that there was an "alarming erosion of the integrity" within the refugee program during that period. This claim, however, is disputed by refugee advocacy groups.
"A review of refugee processing policies and procedures implemented under the Biden administration indicates an alarming erosion of integrity leading to aliens being admitted to the United States as refugees when their identities, eligibility for refugee classification, and admissibility were determined based on incomplete records," a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document states.
The document further added, "The priority of expediency over quality encouraged a lack of robust interviews. Certain questions to ensure that aliens were eligible for refugee status prior to admission to the United States were omitted and this increased the risk of ineligible aliens being approved for refugee classification and subsequently admitted to the United States."
Zach Kahler, a spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration Services, echoed these sentiments, stating that the agency has identified "an alarming erosion of screening and vetting measures" under the previous administration, aimed at "rush processing and maximize the number of refugees admitted."
In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Kahler affirmed that the current administration is "ensuring that refugee status is reserved only for those who were eligible under the law."
This policy adjustment follows a directive from the administration to review at least 185,000 refugees admitted during the previous administration who currently have pending green card applications.
Advocates Warn of Due Process and Deportation Risks
The U.S. refugee admissions program has historically received bipartisan support since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980. Refugees typically undergo extensive security screenings and background checks before being approved for resettlement. Many endure years of waiting in refugee camps, undergoing multiple rounds of interviews and screenings before they can be admitted.
Critics contend that with the new administrative rule, tens of thousands of individuals who fled persecution and conflicts in their home countries could now face deportation.
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Global Refuge, expressed her concerns in a statement.
"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."
Vignarajah further elaborated that the Department of Homeland Security now intends to "revisit those decisions on a 10-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."
She added, "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 truly strong, it can afford to give people a meaningful chance to challenge it."
HIAS, a prominent refugee aid organization, also issued a warning that refugees who have escaped violence, persecution, and displacement could be at risk of being deported to countries where they might face persecution and torture.
"They are trying to upend the core principle that refugee resettlement represents permanent protection," stated Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of HIAS.
Broader Shifts in Refugee Policy
The current administration has substantially reformed the U.S. refugee admissions program, sharply curtailing overall admissions while notably prioritizing the resettlement of white South Africans.
Last month, the administration set a ceiling of 17,500 refugee admissions for fiscal year 2027, with the majority of these slots allocated to Afrikaners, a predominantly white ethnic group in South Africa.
During his initial term, President Donald Trump significantly reduced the number of refugees approved annually. The subsequent administration reversed this trend, setting a refugee admissions ceiling of 125,000 for fiscal year 2025.
Upon returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump immediately suspended the refugee program, leaving many individuals worldwide who had been slated to come to the U.S. in limbo. The administration later reinstated the program but largely restricted it to white South Africans.
