USCIS Tightens Security: New Unit to Reassess and Reopen Approved Immigration Cases

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has unveiled a new specialized unit aimed at intensifying efforts to identify potential threats from “terrorists, foreign criminals, and other non-citizens” who might pose risks to public safety or have engaged in fraud or other crimes.

This newly established entity, known as the USCIS Background Check Center, will be based in Atlanta. Its mission is to centralize enhanced verification processes for immigration applications and petitions, a change affecting applicants from all nationalities, including Cubans, who seek immigration benefits.

“The center will be tasked with reviewing pending applications and conducting a more thorough reassessment of already approved foreign nationals' applications. Priority will be given to applications from countries deemed of interest by the president,” USCIS stated regarding the center.

According to the announcement, the center will utilize both classified and unclassified information for a more comprehensive supplementary analysis of cases.

USCIS has highlighted that the initiative incorporates cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and will receive investigative support from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

The director of USCIS, Joseph B. Edlow, defended the move by emphasizing the agency’s increasingly critical role, citing “recent violent incidents,” including an attack by a foreign national on National Guard members within the United States.

Edlow further asserted that, unlike previous approaches—which he described as focused on expediting processes without considering broader impacts—under President Donald Trump’s administration, more safeguards are being implemented to prevent “fraud, deception, and threats” from undermining the immigration system.

The new unit's mandate extends beyond reviewing new cases. USCIS specified that it will also undertake a comprehensive reassessment of already approved applications, prioritizing files from “countries of interest” as designated by the president, though the announcement did not specify which countries these might be.

The establishment of the center is part of a series of recent initiatives linked to Executive Order 14161, which includes a pause on affirmative asylum decisions, proposed rules to strengthen checks before issuing work permits, and the creation of special USCIS agents with police authority to investigate, arrest, and prosecute immigration violations, according to the document.

In the background, the document also notes that the Trump administration is considering expanding travel restrictions to citizens from “at least 30 or 32 countries.” This possibility was advocated by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, following a recent shooting in Washington D.C., which has been used as a rationale for tightening security measures.

Currently, the United States maintains full or partial restrictions on 19 countries under a presidential proclamation dated June 4, 2025, and DHS has indicated that an updated list will be announced “soon,” without specifying which nations would be included.