The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a temporary pause on green card applications for certain refugees and asylees.
The move comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to enhance national security screening and crack down on immigration fraud.
The directive from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will affect refugees already approved to enter the United States, as well as those who were granted asylum by immigration courts.
While both groups had already undergone vetting, DHS is pressing pause on processing their applications for lawful permanent residency, citing the need for “additional screening.”
DHS Cites Fraud, Public Safety, and National Security Risks
“To better identify fraud, public safety or national security concerns, USCIS is placing a temporary pause on finalizing certain Adjustment of Status applications pending the completion of additional screening and vetting,” DHS said in a statement.
The decision is based on two executive orders issued by President Trump, which mandate extreme vetting for all foreign nationals seeking entry into the U.S. One of the orders directs the administration to “vet and screen to the maximum degree possible all aliens who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already inside the United States, particularly those aliens coming from regions or nations with identified security risks.”
Trump Administration Cracks Down on Loosely Vetted Migrants
The new policy could impact a wide range of migrants, from those who entered after the Afghanistan withdrawal to asylum-seekers who first made claims at the U.S. border.
Both refugees and asylees must demonstrate persecution based on race, religion, or political views, with refugees only gaining entry after passing rigorous security screenings while still abroad.
Last week, the administration announced that over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the U.S. under Biden-era parole programs will have 30 days to self-deport or face arrest and removal.
Trump officials have argued that many of these migrants were not properly vetted, blaming the Biden administration for lax immigration enforcement and widespread fraud within the program.
Expanded Social Media Screening for Green Cards, Asylum Seekers
In addition to enhanced vetting of refugees and asylees, USCIS has unveiled a new policy requiring immigrants applying for legal status—such as U.S. citizenship, green cards, and asylum—to submit their social media handles for government review.
The agency has historically conducted social media checks on select applicants, but this expanded screening process will apply to a broader group of immigrants as part of “enhanced identity verification, vetting, and national security screening.”
The tighter the requiremets for entry into the U.S. the better. If I were president I would shut down all immigration completely for at least one year. After a year the process should be re-evaluated to see if it should be extended for another year. We have definitely filled up our normal quotas for several years at this time. The U.S. sets its quotas NOT THE U.N.