US mandates what it calls 'enhanced' security checks

US President Donald Trump's administration has mandated what it calls "enhanced" security checks for immigration applicants, according to internal guidance sent to the employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.



Internal guidance by USCIS directed officers to refrain from approving any pending cases that have not undergone the expanded background checks.



The guidance was first reported by CBS News.



"Effective April 27, 2026, USCIS will begin receiving enhanced criminal history record information (CHRI) for all fingerprint-based background checks submitted to the FBI's Next Generation Identification system," according to an internal USCIS email from last week seen by Reuters.



The email was sent to USCIS' Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate staff.



Since taking office in early 2025, Trump has pursued an immigration crackdown that his administration says is necessary to improve domestic security and cut illegal immigration.



Human rights advocates, civil rights groups and religious leaders have condemned the crackdown, saying it has violated due process and free speech rights, and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities.