The Trump administration is adopting a new rule that would shorten the time refugees have to challenge the termination of their legal status, marking another restriction on legal immigration pathways as the White House continues its immigration enforcement crackdown.

The new policy, which takes effect Wednesday without undergoing the usual advance public notice-and-comment process, reduces the time refugees have to respond to a notice of intent to terminate their status from 30 days to 10.

According to the new rule, the administration is aiming to «mitigate potential risks» linked to people who were admitted as refugees but were not eligible for refugee status.

The documents pointed to refugees admitted during the Biden administration, claiming there was an «alarming erosion of the integrity» of the refugee program during those years, although refugee advocates dispute that allegation.

TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES VISA APPOINTMENTS WORLDWIDE AMID HEIGHTENED SCREENING FOR APPLICANTS

«A review of refugee processing policies and procedures implemented under the Biden administration indicates an alarming erosion of integrity leading to aliens being admitted to the United States as refugees when their identities, eligibility for refugee classification, and admissibility were determined based on incomplete records,» DHS’ document reads.

«The priority of expediency over quality encouraged a lack of robust interviews,» it added. «Certain questions to ensure that aliens were eligible for refugee status prior to admission to the United States were omitted and this increased the risk of ineligible aliens being approved for refugee classification and subsequently admitted to the United States.»

A spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services, Zach Kahler, similarly said the agency has found «an alarming erosion of screening and vetting measures» during the Biden administration to «rush processing and maximize the number of refugees admitted.»

The Trump administration is «ensuring that refugee status is reserved only for those who were eligible under the law,» he said in a statement to The Associated Press.

This comes after the Trump administration ordered the review of at least 185,000 refugees admitted during the Biden administration who still have pending green card applications.

The U.S. refugee admissions program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support since Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980. Refugees undergo extensive security screenings and background checks before being approved for resettlement. Many spend years waiting in refugee camps before they can be admitted after undergoing multiple rounds of interviews and screenings.

With the Trump administration’s new rule, critics argue tens of thousands of people who fled persecution and wars in their home countries could be forced into deportation.

«These families did everything asked of them,» Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Global Refuge, said in a statement. «They submitted to interviews, background checks and years of waiting abroad, only setting foot on U.S. soil once government officials approved their applications.»

She said the Department of Homeland Security now wants to «revisit those decisions on a 10-day clock, a notice period wholly insufficient to find a lawyer, translate documents or get records out of a country they were forced to flee due to conflict or persecution.»

«In some cases, refugees may not even receive the notice before their ten days are up, effectively eliminating their only chance to respond,» she added. «If the government’s case for termination is truly strong, it can afford to give people a meaningful chance to challenge it.»

HIAS, a major refugee aid group, also warned that refugees who have fled violence, persecution and displacement will be at risk of being deported to countries where they could be subject to persecution and torture.

«They are trying to upend the core principle that refugee resettlement represents permanent protection,» HIAS Vice President Naomi Steinberg said in a statement.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FINES OF UP TO $1.8M FOR MIGRANTS

The Trump administration has significantly overhauled the U.S. refugee admissions program, sharply restricting overall admissions while prioritizing the resettlement of white South Africans.

Last month, the Trump administration established a ceiling of 17,500 refugee admissions for fiscal year 2027, with most slots allocated to Afrikaners, a predominantly white ethnic group in South Africa.

During his first term, President Donald Trump reduced the number of refugees approved every year. The Biden administration reversed that trend, setting a refugee admissions ceiling of 125,000 for fiscal year 2025.

When Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he immediately suspended the refugee program, stranding people around the world who had been set to come to the U.S. The administration later reopened the program but limited it mostly to white South Africans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

immigration, donald trump, politics, refugees, homeland security, deportation

Katie Zacharia se estrenó este martes como nueva portavoz de la Casa Blanca con su primera rueda de prensa desde que el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, la nombró en reemplazo de Karoline Leavitt, quien dejó el cargo en agosto para dedicar más tiempo a su familia.

Zacharia sorprendió con una comparecencia inusualmente breve, de 14 minutos y solo tres preguntas, pero en la que dio una noticia: el cese de la embajadora estadounidense en Grecia, Kimberly Guilfoyle, salpicada por varios escándalos.

”Me siento muy honrada de trabajar para el presidente Trump y el pueblo estadounidense como nueva secretaria de Prensa de la Casa Blanca. Quiero agradecer al presidente Trump por la confianza que ha depositado en mí. Hacía mucho tiempo que quería trabajar para él«, dijo la nueva vocera al abrir la rueda de prensa.

La portavoz se mostró visiblemente nerviosa y recurrió en varias ocasiones a sus notas, en contraste con la seguridad y agilidad de su antecesora.

Quién es Katie Zacharia

Abogada de formación y madre de cuatro hijos, Zacharia era hasta su nombramiento asesora de comunicación de Trump Media, la matriz de Truth Social, la red social fundada por el presidente republicano después de que Twitter suspendiera su cuenta tras el asalto al Capitolio en 2021.

También trabajó brevemente como portavoz del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional durante la gestión de Kristi Noem. Además, fue comentarista en medios conservadores como Fox News y Newsmax.

En su primera jornada ya recibió críticas porque no supo aclarar, ante preguntas de la prensa, dónde aprobó el examen de licencia para ejercer como abogada. Está casada con el productor cinematográfico Tyler Zacharia, que trabajó en películas como ‘Silence’ y ‘The Irishman’, ambas dirigidas por Martin Scorsese.

Durante la rueda de prensa, los nervios le jugaron una mala pasada: se refirió a su esposo como “mi presidente”, un lapsus que después le causó risa. “Me pareció que lo hizo excelente; lo hizo muy bien”, declaró Trump al ser preguntado sobre el desempeño de Zacharia.

Unidos

New York Attorney General Letitia James has pledged a full and fair investigation into the Cornell 7 gang rape allegations, years after she faced accusations that she ignored warnings of sexual misconduct against her former chief of staff and allowed him to «quietly resign» while allegedly keeping his accuser in the dark.

The claims stemmed from a 2022 lawsuit filed by James’ former deputy press secretary, Sofia Quintanar. A New York judge dismissed the claims against James personally and the Attorney General’s Office in February 2025. The decision was upheld by an appellate court in May 2026.

Those allegations against James have received new attention after New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house associated with Cornell University in October 2024.

«Kathy Hochul lost faith in the local DA’s handling of the Cornell sexual assault case. So she picked Letitia James. Did you read Sofia Quintanar’s lawsuit, Governor?» Sam Antar, a fraud investigator based in New York wrote on X.

CORNELL SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE REVIVES SCRUTINY OF A LITTLE-KNOWN NEW YORK LAW ON INTOXICATED VICTIMS

«You’re entitled to question the DA’s handling of Cornell,» Antar continued. «We’re entitled to question James’s handling of her own aide and your choice of James to restore public confidence.»

James is already facing calls to recuse herself from the case after an attorney for one of the defendants pointed to social media posts she made days before her appointment that appeared to take the alleged victim’s side.

«What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable,» James posted on X on Sept. 28. «I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.»

Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney representing accused student Gillio Lopes, filed a court petition on Oct. 7 requesting James to be removed from the case. Miltenberg argued that James’ remarks raised concerns about whether she could independently evaluate the evidence and determine whether criminal charges were warranted.

«New York Attorney General Letitia James has always taken these matters seriously and followed the facts and the law,» a spokesperson for James told Digital.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Digital that James’ public comments could complicate her investigation.

«It is problematic for a prosecutor like Tish James to be commenting on a case publicly before the investigation is concluded,» Rahmani said.

«And the problem is, if you file criminal charges, whether it’s through a complaint or a grand jury indictment, that may taint the potential jury pool in a criminal case,» he added.

Rahmani acknowledged that James likely did not anticipate being appointed when she made the remarks but said defense attorneys could still raise concerns about her involvement.

Hochul has defended her decision to appoint James.

«I have every confidence in our Attorney General to do what she has always done: look at the facts, examine the record and draw the proper conclusions,» Hochul said during an Oct. 2 news conference. «That’s exactly what’s going to happen in this case.»

James also pledged in an Oct. 1 statement that her office would be «guided by the facts and the law.»

«The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,» James said.

But others, in addition to Antar, say New Yorkers shouldn’t move on from the previous allegations raised against James by her former employee.

«What about justice for former staffer Sofia Quintanar?» Lattina Brown posted on X. «She spoke out about sexual harassment and NY AG Letitia James had this woman blacklisted in the entire state of NY. The Dems turned their backs on this poor woman. Where is the support for the Hispanic woman?»

The litigation centered on James’ handling of misconduct allegations involving her longtime chief of staff, Ibrahim Khan, whom Quintanar accused of forcibly kissing her at a Brooklyn political fundraiser in November 2021.

INSIDE EXPLOSIVE CORNELL RAPE ALLEGATIONS: 7 MEN ACCUSED, CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS AND A POLITICAL FIRESTORM

In her lawsuit, Quintanar accused James of overlooking warning signs about Khan’s conduct and protecting him from the fallout after the accusations surfaced.

Her lawsuit claimed Khan was allowed to omit his «unlawful conduct» from his resignation statement and accused James of making «misleading statements» to the press about his whereabouts during the investigation. Quintanar also alleged she was not kept updated on the investigation.

The complaint pointed to earlier accusations involving Angel Dubose, a former employee who claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a 2014 holiday party while James served as New York City’s public advocate.

The lawsuit referenced a 2017 New York Post article linking Khan to the alleged assault. However, the newspaper later removed the report after learning that Dubose could not recall who attacked her and had never identified Khan as the perpetrator, The New York Times reported.

James said she referred Dubose’s allegations to law enforcement and other agencies after learning of them in 2017. The Manhattan district attorney’s office and New York City’s Department of Investigation later closed their investigations without filing charges.

James described those allegations as «unsubstantiated» in a December 2022 NY1 interview.

James’ office said it first learned of Quintanar’s allegations against Khan on Oct. 2, 2022, directed him to work remotely the following day and hired an outside law firm to investigate on Oct. 4.

However, the lawsuit was not dismissed entirely. The appellate court allowed a federal civil rights claim against Khan to proceed and revived retaliation claims against Khan and James’ re-election campaign.

The investigation substantiated the allegations against Khan, who resigned in November 2022.

Those claims centered on allegations that Khan blocked Quintanar from obtaining a campaign job after she rejected his sexual advances.

In May 2026, an appellate court upheld the dismissal of Quintanar’s claims against James and the Attorney General’s Office, finding that the lawsuit failed to sufficiently show James knew about Khan’s alleged misconduct.

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Digital reached out to attorneys for Khan and Quintanar for comment.

politics, controversies state and local, kathy hochul, college, new york, state and local