Joseph Edlow, President Trump’s nominee for director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told the Senate Judiciary Committee he would prioritize reducing the agency’s application backlogs and bolster screening and fraud-detection tools if confirmed.

Edlow said the asylum backlog had grown substantially during the prior four years; he cited the number of affirmative asylum filings as a point of concern and said the agency “doesn’t know who’s in the backlog.” He proposed using existing and emerging technologies and moving the agency’s fraud-detection unit “out of the shadows” to perform more active vetting and reduce uncertainty for applicants.

On parole programs and the agency’s prior use of categorical parole, Edlow told senators he believes parole should be used on a case-by-case basis and said categorical or mass parole programs “are illegal.” He said USCIS should assist departmental partners in reviewing parole recipients’ files and looking for fraud where appropriate.

Senators pressed Edlow on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations affecting nationals from Haiti, Venezuela and Afghanistan. He said decisions about TPS ultimately rest with the Department of Homeland Security secretary and that USCIS determines eligibility under the law once a designation is made. Regarding workers and visas, Edlow said he was open to working with members to modernize or reform H‑2A/H‑2B seasonal and agricultural worker programs and to address OPT-related employment-authorized work tied to student visas.

On DACA, Edlow told Senator Dick Durbin he would ensure USCIS “promptly process DACA applications of eligible dreamers” if confirmed, responding to questions about past agency enforcement priorities.

Why it matters: USCIS oversees adjudication of naturalization, asylum, employment authorization and humanitarian programs that affect employment, labor supply and long-term immigrant integration. Senators highlighted consequences to employers and local communities from abrupt policy changes or program terminations.

Committee context: The hearing included questions about parole, the use of presidential authority to admit groups en masse, adjudication backlogs (including references to more than 1.5 million asylum-related matters cited in the hearing), and the need for modernization of paper-based processes. Edlow emphasized he would consult with other departmental partners and Congress on regulatory fixes and potential statutory reforms.

The committee accepted additional written questions for the record.