Skip to content

Press Release

Review of Lawfully Present Refugee Population Would Upend American Communities

The Trump administration has laid out plans to review all lawfully admitted refugees who entered the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2025.

Such a plan would affect more than 200,000 people and upend not only their lives but also American communities across the country that have welcomed them.

“Security is crucial, and refugees who enter through the U.S. admissions program go through the most rigorous vetting process of any immigrants,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “These are people who followed the law and entered the U.S. legally — a group that includes some of the allies who fought and worked alongside our military in Afghanistan.

“Amid pre-existing backlogs, this unprecedented plan calls for spending unnecessary resources on re-vetting a population and freezing their ability to contribute to their new country and support themselves. It would hurt the businesses and American communities that benefit when refugees arrive.”

Learn More

Read more about Explainer: USCIS Internal Memo on Review of Admitted Refugees

Explainer

Explainer: USCIS Internal Memo on Review of Admitted Refugees

Read more about Legislative Bulletin — Friday, November 21, 2025

Legislative Bulletin

Legislative Bulletin — Friday, November 21, 2025

Read more about Immigration Detention Costs in a Time of Mass Deportation

Paper

Immigration Detention Costs in a Time of Mass Deportation