The Trump administration implemented sweeping new security protocols requiring immigration officials to resubmit thousands of pending applications for enhanced FBI background checks, effectively pausing approvals across multiple visa categories until additional vetting occurs.
Expanded Database Access Triggers Review
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services distributed internal guidance last week instructing officers to halt approvals on pending cases that have not undergone expanded FBI criminal history screenings. The directive affects applications for asylum, green cards, and citizenship already in the system. Officers received orders to resubmit fingerprint-based background checks for any cases where FBI information was received before April 27. The enhanced vetting stems from a February executive order granting USCIS maximum access to FBI criminal databases to identify foreign nationals with criminal histories.
Exclusive: The Trump administration issued new rules for visa applications that orders diplomatic missions to ask applicants for nonimmigrant visas if they fear returning home to their country — and to refuse U.S. travel documents for those who say yes. https://t.co/OhxYDV4t7C
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 28, 2026
The new requirements apply to all immigration benefits requiring fingerprint submissions, including permanent residency applications and naturalization requests. Family-based sponsorship petitions filed by U.S. citizens or green card holders for relatives and fiancees now face the additional screening layer. Officers were explicitly told resubmissions are unnecessary only when they plan to deny an application outright.
Safety Priority Justification
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler confirmed the agency rolled out new security protocols to strengthen applicant vetting through expanded federal criminal database access. He acknowledged processing delays but characterized them as brief interruptions that would resolve shortly. The agency emphasized prioritizing American safety above processing speed. President Trump’s February order specifically directed the Justice Department to provide database access for identifying criminal actors who entered or remained illegally or otherwise seek to violate U.S. criminal laws.
Latest Immigration Enforcement Front
The expanded security checks represent another component of the administration’s comprehensive strategy to tighten immigration system access and intensify vetting procedures. USCIS has historically used FBI databases for national security and public safety screening, but the enhanced access grants immigration officers deeper visibility into criminal history records. Internal documents obtained by CBS News reveal the scope of the pause affects broad immigration benefit categories, creating temporary backlogs as officers reprocess existing applications through the upgraded security framework. The administration continues implementing stricter protocols across immigration enforcement agencies.