DHS Announces Improved Security Procedures for Refugees Entering the United States

The White House announced the implementation of new security procedures for refugees entering the United States. The measures come at the end of a 120-day "pause" on refugee resettlement, while the United States government conducted a thorough review of the existing program.

As a result of this review, the United States government is implementing program enhancements to raise the bar for vetting and screening procedures, including but not limited to:

• Increased data collection to more thoroughly investigate applicants
• Better information sharing between agencies to identify threat actors
• New training procedures to strengthen screener ability to detect fraud and deception.
• Additional in-depth review with respect to refugees from 11 countries previously identified as posing a higher risk to the United States. Admissions for applicants from those 11 high-risk countries will move forward on a case-by-case basis during an additional 90-day review period. As DHS, State and DNI complete individual country reviews, they may resume a standard admissions process for applicants from those countries.

Related Resources

• Presidential Executive Order on Resuming the United States Refugee Admissions Program with Enhanced Vetting Capabilities
• Joint Memo to the President on Resuming the Refugee Admissions Program