TAKE ACTION: Stand With Refugees as Trump Sets Record Low Resettlement Goal, Targets Those Who Have Already Resettled to the U.S.


November 26, 2025

On November 24, Reuters reported on an internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo that ordered a “review and re-interview” of all refugees who entered via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under the Biden administration. The review, which would impact over 200,000 refugees who resettled in the U.S. between January 20, 2021 and February 20, 2025 — would reportedly focus on re-litigating refugees’ cases for protection. It is an unjustifiable targeting of those who have been promised permanent safety in this country, refugees who in many cases have been through years of screening, vetting, and interviews overseas prior to their arrival and are some of the most vetted travelers in the world.

The directive is unimaginably cruel, blatantly illegal, and a massive waste of limited USCIS resources. It is also part of the administration’s broader effort to dismantle refugee protections and target both refugees who are waiting abroad and those who have already begun to build new lives in the U.S. Here is where things stand: 

Stranded overseas: On October 31, President Trump published the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 in the Federal Register. The determination sets the refugee admissions ceiling for the upcoming year at 7,500, by far the lowest number in the history of the refugee program. The announcement stated that “the admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa” as well as “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination.”

After a “charade consultation” with Congress on November 20 in which the administration repeatedly failed to follow the law, resettlement of Afrikaners and a small number of Afghans began on November 24 (the first individuals to arrive via the refugee program since September). 

The determination excludes tens of thousands of already approved refugees who have been waiting for years in the pipeline, including: Refugees from the world’s largest displacement crises in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Venezuela, and elsewhere; Afghan allies fleeing retribution for their support of the U.S. government; persecuted religious minorities, unaccompanied refugee children; families awaiting reunification; and many others. All remain stranded.

Targeted in their new homes: The passage of the administration’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is set to cut off refugees and other humanitarian entrants from food assistance (SNAP), Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, many humanitarian arrivals have been swept up in an indiscriminate and draconian enforcement system. And now — the administration is halting green card processing and targeting hundreds of thousands of resettled refugees for “reviews and re-interviews.” 

Now remains an urgent time to call on our elected leaders and urge them to speak out in this moment for refugees who remain stranded and those have been resettled and targeted in our communities. There is still time to restore our proud legacy of protecting those in harm’s way.   

CONTACT YOUR TWO SENATORS AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE

Sample Email Script: “My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I am outraged by the ongoing attacks on refugees — both those stranded overseas and targeted after resettling right here in [STATE]. 

The administration has moved forward with a historically low refugee admissions target for FY 2026 – with slots reserved almost exclusively for Afrikaners. This is a moral failure. And USCIS has issued a memo halting green card processing for refugees and ordering the “review and re-interview” of all refugees who were resettled from 2021 to 2025. This directive is cruel, illegal, and a massive waste of USCIS resources. 

I urge you to use your voice and oversight capacity to restore protections for those most at-risk overseas and stand up for those who have resettled in our community and now may be subject to this administration’s latest “de-documentation” campaign. Specifically, I urge you to:

  • Strongly voice your support for stranded refugees who are being excluded from the administration’s plans, including via congressional inquiries, oversight hearings, and Dear Colleague letters.
  • Urge the administration to rescind the USCIS memo and halt any actions that would terminate refugee status or lawful permanent residence for refugees who have already arrived and been promised permanent safety. 
  • Demand full transparency on who the administration is prioritizing for resettlement, who it is leaving behind, and how it is planning to target those who have already resettled around the country.

These actions are part of a systemic campaign to fundamentally dismantle the bipartisan refugee admissions program and walk away from international refugee protections. A growing majority of Americans support welcoming refugees and newcomers. Refugees bring enormous economic and sociocultural benefits to the communities where they resettle; they are small business owners, tax contributors, and job creators. Our community welcomes refugees, and I encourage you to do so as well.

Thank you,
[NAME]”

Sample Social Media Posts

  • @[legislator]: We are stronger with refugees. A record low refugee target abandons our values and makes us weaker! #DefendRefuge
  • @[legislator]: Keep America Welcoming. Our communities are stronger when we stand with our new neighbors. #RefugeesWelcome #ImmigrantsWelcome
  • @[legislator]: Attempting to “review” and terminate the lawful status of refugees who have been promised permanent safety in this country is un-American. We must stand by refugees in our communities!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES