1. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) has raised concerns about a reported policy by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review and potentially reinterview over 200,000 refugees who were granted admission into the U.S. between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025. USCRI condemns this policy as it has already caused widespread fear among the refugee community and could undermine the integration process, compromise employment, and destabilize refugees’ lives. The organization reaffirms the necessity for stringent security checks on refugees before their arrival in the U.S., and argues that reinterviewing previously vetted refugees could retraumatize them without providing clear national security benefits.
2. The Trump administration has tightened its immigration policies in response to a shooting incident involving an Afghan national, causing turmoil among thousands of Afghan immigrants legally residing in the U.S. This includes a halt on all asylum decisions for applicants from 19 countries considered high-risk, including Afghanistan. These measures have caused a wave of fear among the Afghan community in the U.S., especially for those in the process of reuniting with relatives still in Afghanistan, as well as among those whose legal immigration status may be jeopardized due to the administration’s policy change.
3. The Trump administration has proposed reversing a policy from the Biden era that could deny permanent residency to legal immigrants who rely on government benefits such as Medicaid. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to restore broader discretionary powers to immigration officers, allowing them to assess an immigrant’s potential dependency on the state based on all pertinent facts. Activist groups argue that this could create uncertainty for millions of current and prospective green card holders and influence their decisions about healthcare, nutrition, and economic security.
4. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its policy on assessing “good moral character” in its adjudication of naturalization applications. Rather than focusing narrowly on the absence of criminal activity, USCIS will now conduct a comprehensive evaluation of applicants’ behavior, societal norms, and overall positive contributions. Critics of the policy argue that it could lead to inconsistent and unpredictable application outcomes.
