USCIS sets up new vetting center for enhanced security checks on foreign nationals

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a dedicated Vetting Center in Atlanta to improve how the immigration system identifies potential security risks. The new unit will centralize enhanced screening of foreign nationals who may threaten public safety or have a history of fraud or crime.

“USCIS’ role in the nation’s immigration system has never been more critical. In the wake of several recent incidents of violence, including a foreign national attacking National Guard service members on US soil, establishing this vetting center will give us more enhanced capabilities to safeguard national security and ensure public safety,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.

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Edlow said the agency has shifted its practices from those followed earlier. “Under the Biden administration, US Citizenship and Immigration Services was pushed to expedite the immigration and naturalization processes with little regard for how that affected national security and the safety of our communities,” he said. “We changed that approach on day one of the Trump administration. Under President Trump, we are building more protective measures that ensure fraud, deception, and threats do not breach the integrity of our immigration system.”

The Vetting Center will draw on classified and open-source tools to review pending and approved immigration applications. The agency plans to use technologies including artificial intelligence for deeper assessments. Applications from presidentially designated countries of concern will receive priority review.

The announcement aligns with Executive Order 14161, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats. It follows recent steps such as allowing immigration officers to weigh negative, country-specific factors for applicants from 19 high-risk nations, a pause on affirmative asylum decisions, expanded hiring for USCIS security staff, a proposed rule for stronger vetting before employment authorization extensions, and the creation of USCIS special agents with authority to investigate and prosecute immigration violations.