U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow on Monday announced a sweeping enforcement initiative that will retroactively review previously approved green cards and naturalization cases, expand investigative powers for USCIS officers and pause adjudications for nationals of countries the administration has flagged as high-risk.
Speaking on April 20, 2026, Edlow said the agency will “revett” past approvals—particularly benefits granted during the previous administration—and pursue any suspected fraud regardless of when an application was originally granted. “There is no reason to admit aliens to the U.S. who would unfairly burden American taxpayers,” Edlow said, adding that the agency will reopen cases where fraudulent activity is suspected and that “no tip is too small.” He warned the campaign will be exhaustive and said USCIS is launching public tip lines and stepping up coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
A striking element of the policy shift is expanded authorities for USCIS officers. The agency announced officers will be granted powers to carry firearms and make arrests—moves that mark a significant operational change from traditional USCIS adjudicative and administrative roles. Edlow framed the measures as necessary to protect national security and the integrity of the legal immigration system, saying USCIS will act “unapologetically” despite legal challenges from what he called “radical, activist judges.”
The effort comes as the agency grapples with a large backlog and staffing shortfalls. Former USCIS official Ricky Murray told Newsweek that as of late 2025 there were 11.65 million pending applications and 6.28 million cases exceeding target processing times. Murray said staffing losses have contributed to slower adjudications and increased rejections for relatively minor administrative mistakes—such as missing signatures or outdated forms—rather than allowing applicants to correct errors. He warned the result is longer waits for green cards, work permits and travel documents, and greater expense for applicants, who may have to pay thousands of dollars in new filing fees after initial denials.
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DHS defended the new approach as a corrective to what the department called vetting failures under the prior administration. A DHS spokesperson asserted that previous screening lapses “allowed dangerous people, including national security threats, into our country,” and said the enhanced reviews and paused adjudications are intended to ensure rigorous identity and background checks. The agency also said adjudications for immigrants from countries designated as high-risk by President Trump would be paused while more stringent vetting is implemented.
Other operational changes outlined by USCIS include requiring immigrant visa applicants to attend interviews in their home countries and an increase in detentions tied to routine check-ins, according to Murray. Edlow emphasized financial self-sufficiency as a criterion for maintaining or obtaining immigration status: “If you cannot pay for yourself and take care of yourself, you are not going to get a Green Card in this country,” he said in his remarks and reiterated in a post on X.
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The announcement signals a sharper enforcement posture at USCIS with immediate implications for millions of pending applicants and for immigrants whose status was approved under prior vetting practices. Legal advocates and immigration attorneys are likely to scrutinize the retroactive reviews and expanded enforcement authorities, and litigation over the scope and limits of administrative reexamination can be expected as cases are reopened.
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