By Billal RahmanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberGreen card approvals for refugees admitted under the Biden administration have been suspended, according to an Associated Press report citing a government memo.
AP reported that the memo orders an immediate halt to the processing of permanent residency applications for refugees who arrived in the United States between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has argued that its predecessor misused legal immigration pathways, including asylum and refugee admissions, during a period when large numbers of migrants arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border or pursued other entry routes between 2021 and 2025.
The Trump White House has widely halted refugee admissions, setting an annual limit of about 7,500. At the same time, green card holders and applicants have increasingly been caught in the crosshairs of the administration's broader enforcement push as the government moves to carry out large-scale deportations of immigrants without legal status.
...What To Know
According to the memo, individuals found to have been incorrectly admitted as refugees "have no right to appeal" that determination. However, if they are placed in removal proceedings, they would be able to present their case before an immigration judge. The memo also said the review would extend to refugees who already received their green cards.
Refugees admitted to the United States are generally required to apply for a green card one year after arrival and may become eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship after five years.
"USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused," wrote Joseph Edlow, the director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to AP.
The Trump administration has targeted green card holders and applicants with previous criminal histories. This has led to heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration had begun a wide-ranging review of about 233,000 refugees admitted between 2021 and 2025. According to the outlet, the memo calls for reexamining and potentially reinterviewing those refugees, based on concerns that earlier vetting may have emphasized processing speed over detailed security screening. Refugee status could be revoked for individuals determined not to meet statutory requirements, Reuters reported.
Under the Trump administration, refugee admissions have plummeted, with one notable exception for white South Africans—who the administration has said face persecution in their home country. According to a recent memo about the refugee cap for 2026, majority of the 7,5000 slots will be allocated to white South Africans.
What People Are Saying
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "For four straight years, the Biden administration accelerated refugee admissions from terror and gang-prone countries, prioritizing sheer numbers over rigorous vetting and strict adherence to legal requirements. This reckless approach undermined the integrity of our immigration system and jeopardized the safety and security of the American people. Corrective action is now being taken to ensure those who are present in the United States deserve to be here."
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services wrote on X: "Coming to America and receiving a visa or green card is a privilege. Our laws and values must be respected. If you advocate for violence, endorse or support terrorist activity, or encourage others to do so, you are no longer eligible to stay in the U.S."
Myal Greene, the president and CEO of World Relief, said in a statement: "Refugees admitted under the U.S. refugee resettlement program have undergone some of the most rigorous vetting of any immigrant lawfully admitted into the United States, yet this sweeping re-interview initiative is nothing less than a calculated effort to strip lawful status from thoroughly-vetted, law-abiding people.
"It is a moral and ethical betrayal of due process at a time when the Trump administration is attempting to lower the standard for refugee admissions to include Afrikaners and others who do not meet the legal standard of a 'well-founded fear of persecution' that past refugees have been required to meet."
What Happens Next
If implemented as described, the measures would represent a significant and unusual shift in U.S. refugee policy, raising uncertainty about the long-term status of Biden-era arrivals and the direction of the Trump administration's approach to humanitarian admissions.
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