PRESS RELEASE 

For immediate release 

December 1, 2025

Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278

‍Chicago, IL. Alianza Americas rejects the Trump administration's persistent actions against people seeking humanitarian protection. This month, the administration has announced several efforts to undermine the refugee resettlement program. The latest attempt is an internal memo directing officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to once again interview around 200,000 refugees who have already entered the country and passed rigorous screening during the prior administration. Additionally, earlier this month, the administration decreased the annual refugee admissions cap to 7,500, indicating it would prioritize admissions for white South African applicants, a move that is clearly racially discriminatory and in alignment with their white supremacist agenda. 

There is no basis for another screening of 200,000 individuals who were carefully vetted over 18 - 24 months before they arrived in the U.S. This is just another attempt by the administration to cast doubt on its predecessor's actions and to delay permanent residence processing for many refugees. Admitted refugees should not need to prove once more that they met the definition under the Immigration and Nationality Act. There is no legal basis for these actions. Such an unfounded requirement only deepens the anxiety felt by refugees and undermines the very purpose of the U.S. refugee protection system. 

This is another failed political maneuver. The numbers and the actions speak for themselves. This administration has undermined the international refugee system with funding cuts and its anti-refugee and asylee rhetoric and actions. There is no justification for the wealthiest country in the world to close its doors and deny the possibility of safety and dignity to those who have fled persecution and need to rebuild their lives. The U.S. has lost its ability to exert global soft power through measures like this one. This is a loss that hurts us all. 

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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.

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