Trump administration tightens immigration vetting with expanded FBI checks

The Trump administration has introduced enhanced security screening for broad categories of immigration applicants, including those seeking asylum, green cards and citizenship, while temporarily pausing some cases during implementation.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instructed officers to resubmit pending applications for expanded FBI background checks and to withhold approvals until the new vetting process is completed, Caliber.Az reports per US media.

“Such criminal actors may include foreign nationals with criminal histories who have entered or remained in the United States in violation of the immigration laws of the United States or who otherwise seek to violate the criminal laws of the United States,” the president said in his order.

The changes follow a February executive order by President Trump directing the Justice Department to expand USCIS access to FBI criminal history databases “to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

The enhanced screening applies to fingerprint-based applications, including green card and naturalisation requests, as well as sponsorship petitions for relatives and fiancés of US citizens and permanent residents.

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler confirmed the policy shift, saying the agency had “implemented new security checks to strengthen the vetting and screening of applicants through expanded access to federal criminal databases.”

“Processing is ongoing as we apply these enhanced background check requirements. Any delay in decision issuance should be brief and resolved shortly,” Kahler said. “USCIS will always prioritize the safety of the American people.”

The move forms part of a broader tightening of immigration oversight since Trump returned to office, including increased scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity and restrictions on certain immigration categories, such as asylum cases and applications from nationals of 39 countries under a presidential travel ban.

By Aghakazim Guliyev