USCIS provides updates on immigration ban
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced what they found after the Donald Trump administration put a hold on all types of immigration from certain countries, while the agency was tasked to recheck whether all checks were in place and whether they were adequate. The administration is known for its anti-immigration sentiment, but the DC shooting in November 2025, where the shooter was an Afghan refugee, triggered an unprecedented ban on a host of countries. The administration announced it would not allow any immigration requests for high-risk countries. The agency on March 30 provided an update on what they found. The update came as several organizations pointed out that the US administration committed a major immigration fraud by pausing immigrations for over 50 countries as they took application fees but there was no update on the adjudication of cases. USCIS said they found that the screening and vetting measures that were in place previously were wholly inadequate. Many applications for naturalization and lawful permanent residence were not sufficiently vetted. Applications were approved and individuals were naturalized who should not have been.
Asylum > Green Card > Naturalization
The target of this review process was asylum seekers in the US who eventually became US citizens, eligible of all federal benefits. Asylum seekers can be from any country where they fear persecution or if their country is facing any calamity, disaster etc. After their asylum is granted, they can live in the US and can work. After one year as an asylee, they can apply for a Green Card. Once they have a Green Card, they can apply for citizenship through naturalization.
What did USCIS review?
- USCIS has reviewed and updated screening and vetting practices, including: shortening validity periods for certain Employment Authorization Documents to require more frequent security checks.
- Updating photograph reuse policies to strengthen identity verification, including biometric identity verification when reusing fingerprints.
- Increasing social media and financial vetting and community interviews.
- Launching Operation PARRIS to conduct additional background checks, re-interviews, and merit reviews of refugee claims, led by the USCIS Vetting Center.
- Developing system connectivity for automatic notifications of biometric matches and new criminal information.
- Requiring final arrest encounter reviews and Department of State Consular Consolidated Database checks before final adjudication.
USCIS said it established an internal process for lifting holds on individual or group cases, requiring comprehensive review by multiple offices. Holds have been lifted for aliens vetted through Operation PARRIS, certain petitions filed by US citizens, intercountry adoption forms, certain rescheduled oath ceremonies, statutory and regulatory decision issuance, refugee registrations for South African citizens/nationals, certain special immigrant visa petitions, certain employment authorization documents, and asylum applications from non-high-risk countries. USCIS compiled information on each country listed in the travel ban proclamations and is working with the Department of State to identify risk factors, including indicators of fraud, public safety, or national security risks, it said. The agency is also developing a layered vetting plan, incorporating classified and unclassified information, as well as expanded criminal history checks, identity verification, and ad hoc security checks to close security gaps.
