Feds consider stricter refugee vetting for women, children

The Trump administration could implement stricter vetting measures for women and children seeking refugee status in the United States, a move that would bring the standards closer to those for men. 

Women and children currently require less thorough background checks and screenings to enter the country. The new policy would aim for more uniform standards in vetting refugees, Reuters reported. 

The Trump administration is currently “finalizing security enhancement recommendations as part of the 120-day review,” Department of Homeland Security spokesman Dave Lapan told Reuters, referring to a restriction tied to Trump’s plan to halt immigration from six Muslim-majority countries. 

The White House told Reuters it had no new policies to announce at the time.

A federal judge blocked the latest iteration of Trump’s travel restrictions this week, specifically challenging Trump’s decision to halt all immigration into the U.S. for 120 days — a time period which has yet to run out — to review vetting procedures.