The Department of Homeland Security recently approved refugee applications for several Venezuelan gang members after officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) overlooked gang-related tattoos, according to The Washington Times.
Kevin Grigsby, head of refugee operations at USCIS, stated that some members of the Tren de Aragua gang were approved and reached the U.S. border before other agencies identified their gang affiliation based on tattoos. “Unfortunately we did not ask about the tattoos…or did not identify that the tattoos asked about were consistent with gang membership,” Grigsby said in an email on September 16, highlighting a “serious public safety concern.”
Tattoo checks are standard indicators of gang affiliation, and critics expressed alarm over USCIS’s oversight, noting the need for more robust procedures to prevent such lapses. Rosemary Jenks from the Immigration Accountability Project called the oversight “one of the most absurd things I’ve seen,” citing a surge in gang members entering the U.S. recently. Emilio Gonzalez, former USCIS director, also criticized the lapse, calling it “scandalous” and expressing frustration over the administration’s handling of such security threats.
Homeland Security reports indicate that Tren de Aragua (TDA), a gang originating in Venezuela, has recently expanded across South America and arrived in the U.S. amidst record levels of migration. Members of the gang have been implicated in high-profile incidents, including assaults on police in New York City and involvement in a Georgia murder case, according to news reports. DHS reportedly identified 100 known TDA members among migrants, with 500 others suspected of gang ties.
Amid this, Grigsby directed USCIS officers to be more vigilant in spotting gang symbols and to avoid leniency when applicants have suspicious tattoos. Migrants from high-risk areas, including Venezuela and Central America’s Northern Triangle region, will now face enhanced scrutiny, with all tattoos documented in immigration files. Grigsby emphasized that suspected gang affiliation should generally result in case denial unless the applicant presents “strong and compelling positive factors.”
This incident follows another issue for USCIS, as it recently paused a parole program after discovering widespread fraud. Critics argue that USCIS’s repeated oversights highlight leadership issues within the Department of Homeland Security.
