Understanding U.S. Security Screening for Asylum and Refugee Programs

The U.S. asylum system and refugee resettlement program, which process people seeking refugee protection either in the United States or those seeking to be resettled to the country, entail rigorous security vetting for applicants to be approved. Both require detailed interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers or immigration court hearings, as well as extensive security and intelligence vetting. As described below, biometric and biographical vetting is conducted with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Defense, the National Counterterrorism Center, and other databases that include intelligence agency and terrorist watchlist information. No individual may be granted asylum or resettled to the United States as a refugee until this interagency vetting process is complete.

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