FOIA: Refugee Adjudication Policies and Procedures

The Trump Administration implemented opaque changes to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program that drastically reduced refugee resettlement. Many of those critical policy changes occurred in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of State (DOS) agency manuals and policy guidance.

In September 2019, IRAP filed a lawsuit seeking records withheld by the agencies that explain the current state of refugee processing, including training materials, manuals, and policies that govern officers’ evaluations of refugee applications.

We remain in discussion with the agencies about the refugee policy and procedures that have subsequently been produced.