The Donald Trump administration has cut the time refugees have to respond to notices seeking to terminate their legal status in the United States from 30 days to 10, a change that could affect African migrants who have yet to obtain permanent residency.
The new rule, issued by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on October 13, 2026, is scheduled to take effect on October 14.
It reduces the time available to challenge a proposed termination by two-thirds, leaving affected refugees with less time to gather documents, seek legal representation and prepare a defence.
The measure applies to cases in which immigration officials determine that an individual did not qualify as a refugee when admitted to the United States. It does not automatically revoke the status of everyone admitted through the country’s refugee resettlement programme.
According to the DHS rule, approximately 186,000 refugees admitted between fiscal years 2015 and 2025 have yet to obtain permanent residency. The department identifies this group as the maximum population potentially covered by the measure, not a target for deportation.
African Refugees Among Those Potentially Affected
The policy could affect refugees from several African countries whose nationals have been admitted to the United States through the resettlement programme, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.
African refugees who remain within the rule’s scope could face a tighter deadline if they receive notices proposing the termination of their status.
However, the US government has not disclosed how many Africans are among the 186,000 refugees who have yet to obtain permanent residency. The figure should therefore not be interpreted as the number of African refugees affected or as evidence that all those covered face imminent deportation.
The shortened response period has raised concerns about refugees’ ability to defend their legal status, particularly those who may struggle to obtain legal assistance or retrieve documents from their countries of origin.
Humanitarian organisation HIAS opposed the change in a statement dated October 13, warning that refugees without green cards could face greater uncertainty over their status.
