USCIS Investigates Refugees Resettled by Biden Administration
President Donald Trump’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has initiated an investigation into all refugees settled in the United States during former President Joe Biden’s term.
An internal memo from USCIS, highlighted by Reuters, reveals Secretary Joseph Edlow’s directive to examine hundreds of thousands of refugee cases approved under Biden, particularly those from Afghanistan who underwent minimal vetting.
The memo additionally pauses the processing of refugees who were admitted under Biden and are seeking permanent residency in the U.S.
USCIS stated, “Given these concerns, a comprehensive investigation and re-interview of all refugees admitted between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025, is warranted.” It also mentioned that, if necessary, refugees admitted outside this period may also be screened and re-interviewed.
There is an indication that USCIS may revoke the refugee status of individuals who do not meet the criteria set by federal immigration law.
Breitbart News has long reported instances of fraud and abuse related to Biden’s mass resettlement of Afghan individuals in 2021.
One recent incident involved a 27-year-old Afghan man arrested in Oklahoma for allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day. He had arrived in the U.S. through Biden’s resettlement initiative.
In April 2023, former Department of Defense officials informed Congress that some Afghans were resettled without proper scrutiny and were later linked to planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) aimed at U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
In 2021, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sought information regarding the number of Afghans attempting to enter the U.S. who were placed on the federal “no-travel list” due to connections with Islamic terrorism. Biden administration officials did not disclose the total number.
A report released by the DHS Inspector General in September 2022 detailed how the Biden administration had brought in Afghans who were “under-vetted” and could potentially threaten national security.
Likewise, a Pentagon report from February 2022 noted that the administration failed to vet Afghan arrivals properly and highlighted serious security concerns for around 50 Afghans post-resettlement.
Many Afghans under suspicion of terrorism ties seem to have blended into U.S. society, as reported by the Pentagon. By September 17, 2021, only three out of 31 Afghans with reported “derogatory information” could be found.
In August 2022, Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) brought attention to whistleblower claims that the Biden administration had previously resettled roughly 400 Afghans identified as “potential threats” without proper vetting.
A report by Project Veritas in May 2022 suggested that the Biden administration had also resettled Afghans from the federal government’s “terrorism watch list” into American communities.
