White House to Suspend Refugee Admissions for 90 Days Starting Feb 20

DHS Memo Calls for Full Review of Screening

The White House plans to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 90 days starting Feb. 20, according to two USCIS officials familiar with the planning. A Department of Homeland Security memo dated Feb. 12 directs USCIS and the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to halt refugee travel authorizations and freeze new admissions beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 20.

The suspension will affect approximately 58,000 refugees who have already completed security vetting and received travel approval, the officials said. Another 23,000 applicants who are in various stages of processing will see their cases placed on administrative hold. The memo says the pause is needed to review screening procedures and align admissions with updated foreign policy and public safety priorities.

A congressional aide on the House Judiciary Committee confirmed that committee staff were briefed on the plan during a closed-door meeting on Feb. 11. The aide said the administration intends to issue a presidential determination or executive order on Feb. 18, two days before the suspension takes effect. The Office of Management and Budget has already begun reviewing the draft order, the aide said.

Agencies Prepare for Processing Halt

USCIS headquarters in Camp Springs, Maryland, sent guidance to field offices on Feb. 13 instructing officers to stop scheduling refugee interviews for the week of Feb. 16, the two officials said. The agency's Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate also canceled 340 interview appointments scheduled between Feb. 23 and March 6 at the El Paso, Texas, processing center and the Newark, New Jersey, asylum office.

The State Department has instructed resettlement agencies to pause bookings for refugee travel after Feb. 19, one USCIS official said. International Organization for Migration transit centers in Amman, Jordan; Nairobi, Kenya; and Quito, Ecuador, have been notified that no new flights to the United States will be authorized during the 90-day window. Approximately 4,200 refugees currently in transit will be required to remain at those centers or return to their countries of first asylum.

The memo directs DHS to conduct a review of the interagency security vetting process and submit recommendations to the White House within 75 days. The review will examine the use of biographic and biometric data, social media screening protocols, and the role of classified intelligence in admissions decisions. A preliminary report is due March 31, with a final report due May 6.

Cap Reduced and Resettlement Agencies React

The planned executive order also lowers the fiscal year 2026 refugee ceiling from 85,000 to 35,000, according to the congressional aide. The reduction would mark the lowest annual cap since the modern refugee program was established under the Refugee Act of 1980. The previous low was 18,000 in fiscal year 2020, though actual admissions that year fell below 12,000 due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

The aide said the lower cap will be allocated by region, with 15,000 slots reserved for the Near East and South Asia, 10,000 for Africa, 5,000 for East Asia, and 5,000 for Europe and Central Asia. The Latin America and Caribbean regional category would be eliminated entirely under the draft order.

Nine national resettlement agencies received preliminary notice of the suspension on Feb. 12, according to one USCIS official. The agencies, which include Church World Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and World Relief, were told to prepare for a significant reduction in federal funding tied to arrivals. The official said the agencies were asked to submit staffing contingency plans by Feb. 17.

Legal and Political Context

The suspension follows a series of executive actions in January and February that tightened border security and restricted humanitarian parole. Refugee admissions are distinct from asylum claims at the border and are governed by a statutory cap set by presidential determination each fiscal year. The Refugee Act gives the president broad authority to set the annual ceiling, though a complete halt raises questions about compliance with congressional intent.

A former immigration judge who advises the administration on policy said the 90-day pause is likely to face legal challenges from refugee resettlement groups and individual plaintiffs with approved travel documents. The judge, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said lawsuits could be filed in federal district courts in Maryland, Washington state, or the District of Columbia as soon as Feb. 20.

The congressional aide said House Judiciary Committee staff have requested documents from DHS and the State Department related to the planned suspension. Senate Judiciary Committee staff have also requested a briefing before the end of February, the aide said.

What to Watch

The executive order is expected to be signed on Feb. 18 in the Oval Office, with an announcement scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Administration officials plan to brief governors and state refugee coordinators on Feb. 19, the congressional aide said. Major international resettlement organizations were told to expect a public announcement before the weekend.

Refugee advocates plan to hold a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 17, according to an organizer familiar with the planning. The advocates are expected to call on Congress to block the suspension through legislation or the appropriations process. The Alamo Post will provide updates as the order is finalized and any litigation is filed.