Summary (tl;dr)

The Trump administration has mandated new, enhanced security checks for a wide range of immigration applications, including green cards, asylum, and citizenship, leading to significant processing delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Essential Background

Since taking office in early 2025, the Trump administration has pursued a more restrictive approach to immigration, prioritizing domestic security and aiming to reduce illegal immigration. This has involved previous measures such as a "travel ban" impacting nationals from certain countries and a temporary pause on asylum cases, which was later scaled back.

The Full Story

Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued internal guidance instructing its officers to implement "enhanced security checks" for various immigration benefits, including pending applications for green cards, naturalization, and asylum. This directive requires the resubmission of these applications for expanded FBI background checks, with officers explicitly told to halt approvals until the new screenings are completed. These enhanced checks, which became effective on April 27, 2026, stem from an executive order signed by President Trump in February 2026, granting USCIS greater access to federal criminal databases. A USCIS spokesperson confirmed the implementation, stating the agency "has implemented new security checks to strengthen the vetting and screening of applicants through expanded access to federal criminal databases" and that any delays should be brief. This new policy is contributing to an already substantial backlog of approximately 11.6 million cases within the agency.

Why It Matters

The implementation of these enhanced security checks is causing significant delays in the processing of crucial immigration applications, leaving millions of legal immigrants awaiting decisions on their green cards, citizenship, or asylum claims in administrative limbo. Human rights advocates and civil rights groups have expressed concerns that these policies may infringe upon due process and free speech rights, and could foster an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities. This move further tightens the U.S. immigration system under the current administration, raising questions about its long-term implications for individuals seeking legal status in the United States.

Geographic Location

• Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States (issuance of executive order and internal guidance on immigration security checks by the Trump administration and USCIS)