News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 24, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Henrike Dessaules | media@refugeerights.org
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ORDER TO RE-VET ALL REFUGEES IS SHAMEFUL MOVE TO BULLY THE MOST VULNERABLE
IRAP strongly condemns latest attempt to de-legalize migrants by threatening their status
(NEW YORK, NY)— Tonight, Reuters reported on a memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ordering the agency to re-vet and re-interview all refugees who entered the United States during the Biden administration. According to the report, the memo also orders a halt to all processing of applications for permanent residence these refugees have filed. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) strongly condemns this latest attempt to target and de-legalize migrants by threatening their status.
The following is a statement from Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP):
“Trump campaigned on a promise to target immigrants. This order is one more in a long line of efforts to bully some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, by threatening their lawful status, rendering them vulnerable to the egregious conduct of immigration enforcement agencies, and putting them through an onerous and potentially re-traumatizing process.
Refugees who entered via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program are already the most highly vetted immigrants in the United States. They have come here to find safety and stability after fleeing war, violence, and persecution – to threaten them like this is an insult not only to refugees but to all who have worked to maintain the integrity of this program for decades.
Besides the enormous cruelty of this undertaking, it would also be a tremendous waste of government resources to review and re-interview 200,000 people who have been living peacefully in our communities for years. Americans should be outraged that this administration is consistently targeting our friends and neighbors, just because of where they were born.”
Additional Resources
- Learn more about IRAP’s fight to preserve the refugee program: HERE
- Access the legal documents in Pacito v. Trump: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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